Borrell calls for European patrols in the Taiwan Strait

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called, in an article on Sunday, for the navies of the bloc’s member states to patrol the Taiwan Strait. In the article published by the French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche, Borrell stressed the need for Europe to be “strongly present in this issue that concerns us in terms of economy, trade and technology.” “For this reason, I call on European naval forces to patrol the Taiwan Strait as a sign of Europe’s keenness on freedom of navigation in this very vital area,” he added. And Josep Borrell had said, on Tuesday, at the opening of a session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on China, that “Taiwan is very important for Europe.” The High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union continued, “Taiwan is an invariable part of our strategic surroundings; To ensure peace and defend our interests.” “This is the most strategic strait in the world, especially with regard to trade: we must be present there through freedom of navigation operations,” he added in his article.