Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said he regrets the short-sighted approach of a number of European countries towards China. The politician stated this on April 13 during his speech in Washington.
“They are short-sightedly looking to China to sell European products at a huge “geopolitical cost”, increasing our dependence on China, not reducing it. Some European countries are trying to make the same mistake with China that they previously did with Russia,” he said.
Morawiecki also made a reference to French President Emmanuel Macron that Taiwan is not an EU matter, but did not directly mention the name of the island.
Separately, Morawiecki spoke about European autonomy, noting that it is comparable to “shooting oneself in the knee.”
“European autonomy sounds great, doesn’t it? But this means that we are shifting the European center of gravity towards China and breaking off relations with the US. I don’t really understand the term strategic autonomy, if “de facto” it means to shoot yourself in the knee,” the prime minister said.
Earlier that day, experts interviewed by Izvestia commented on Macron’s words that Europe, which is unable to resolve even the Ukrainian crisis, should not be drawn into the US confrontation with China over Taiwan.
Prior to this, on April 12, Macron announced that France was in favor of the status quo on Taiwan and peaceful methods for resolving the situation. He stressed that Paris adheres to the “One China” policy.
In early April, Xi Jinping said that China would not make concessions on the Taiwan issue. According to him, “anyone who expects China to make concessions on the Taiwan issue is indulging in pipe dreams.”
In addition, the socio-economic development plan of the PRC for 2023 was published in March. In particular, it says that Beijing is determined to continue the resolute struggle against Taiwan’s independence and intends to achieve reunification with the island province.
The conflict between China and Taiwan escalated after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island in August 2022. The Chinese side considers Taiwan its own territory, therefore, it considers the visit of the island by officials of other countries as support for the independence of Taiwan.
The island of Taiwan has been governed by an independent administration since 1949, when the Kuomintang party forces led by General Chiang Kai-shek, who lost in the civil war with the Communist Party of China, moved to Taiwan. Contacts between the island and mainland China later resumed.
