|
¡@
EU could be legitimate cross-strait
mediator
By Reinhard Biedermann
Tuesday, May 11, 2010, Page 8
On May 1, EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy High Representative Catherine
Ashton condemned Taiwan¡¦s resumption of the death penalty. This is one of very
few EU statements where the EU has expressed any position toward Taiwan.
Moreover, it was the first statement of the head of the newly established
European External Action Service (EEAS).
Unequivocally, the EU has a right to comment and the statement is not a sign of
any EU double standards in foreign relations, as for many years it has also
criticized China and the US for their use of the death penalty. However, what
does appear a little strange about the statement is that it is the EU commenting
on Taiwan.
Once in a while, the EU and its personnel complain about its low profile or
visibility in many Asian countries. However, if the EU wants to receive more
attention in Taiwan on human rights issues, such as the death penalty, it should
also consistently embrace topics that are central to the political debate in
Taiwan. More specifically, many experts and policymakers hope to see the EU take
on a stronger role in cross-strait relations.
If the EU wants to be visible in Asia, it must embrace the topics that are
important to the people. The economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA)
being negotiated between Taiwan and China is currently the most important
politico-economic topic in Taiwan. The EU has a unique chance to become more
visible in Taiwan and cross-strait relations; namely as an adviser on the ECFA
issue, which is sort of like a free-trade agreement (FTA).
Why would an EU role be useful for both it and Taiwan? The EU is one of the
world¡¦s most experienced negotiators in trade policy and it has settled many
deals over the past few decades. It also has a wealth of experience on trade
policy negotiations with China. Beside the US, the EU was the most important
player to help bring China and Taiwan into the WTO in 2002.
One year later, the European Commission opened its trade office in Taipei. It is
obvious that one of the main reasons for the EU to open an office is to assist
Taiwan to implement sophisticated WTO regulations in the absence of diplomatic
relations. Though EU-China talks on China¡¦s accession to the WTO took an arduous
16 years, China¡¦s WTO membership and the preliminary negotiations have been
perceived as a major EU foreign policy success.
Since 2006, however, the EU has seen China as the ¡§biggest challenge to trade¡¨
and a still more arduous task for the EU seems to be assisting and urging China
to implement the many WTO rules. Many so-called sector dialogues have been held
between the EU and China to try to get China to meet its WTO commitments, like
on investment, competition or intellectual property rights regulations.
It should be noted and stated by EU institutions in Taiwan that the EU would not
sign an FTA with China as long as China does not implement the commitments it
made during WTO membership negotiations almost a decade ago. Now, however,
especially with its new EEAS, it is time for the EU to engage more broadly in a
field where it has a wealth of experience and where it can potentially act as an
honest broker between Taiwan and China.
The EU could suggest where and how Taiwan and China could cooperate to assist
peaceful economic development on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. For the EU, an
ECFA should be about more than simplifying the activities of large European
corporations across the Strait. It should also be about bringing China closer to
meeting its WTO commitments.
If the EU gains some attention in Taiwan advising on the planned ECFA, the EU
might also gain more attention on human rights issues.
Reinhard Biedermann is an assistant professor in the Graduate
Institute of European Studies at Tamkang University.
¡@
|
