Recommendation for the Council, for the Commission or for the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the changing geopolitical situation in East Asia and the need for closer cooperation with like-minded partners in the region

The European Parliament adopted by 542 votes to 37, with 79 abstentions, a recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the changing geopolitical situation in East Asia and the need for closer cooperation with like-minded partners in the region.

EU presence and visibility

Parliament recommended intensifying the EU’s strategic orientation, presence and visibility in East Asia, as well as dialogue and cooperation with it, with the aim of avoiding any dynamic of confrontation between blocs and contributing to peace, regional stability, security, prosperity and sustainable development, based on the promotion of democracy, multilateralism, the rule of law, human rights, a rules-based trading system, territorial integrity and international law.

Partners sharing the same values

Parliament recommended deepening cooperation with like-minded partners in the region, particularly Japan, the Republic of Korea and Taiwan, as well as ASEAN countries, to address common challenges in areas such as economic coercion, arbitrary export control measures, policies and practices inconsistent with market principles, democratic resilience, the green transition, cybersecurity, hybrid threats, the protection of critical infrastructure, including submarine cables and port and logistics platforms, maritime and space security, non-proliferation and emerging defence technologies (drones).

The recommendation emphasised the need:

- to facilitate structured military-industrial cooperation with like-minded partners and to establish respective security partnerships focused on interoperability, joint development and acquisition of defence technologies, supply chain security and joint research and development in the fields of aviation and drones;

- to strengthen cooperation to ensure the existence of safe, sustainable and diversified supply chains for semiconductors, batteries and critical raw materials, in particular through traceability, recycling, the circular economy and high environmental and labour standards.

Parliament also recommended:

- continuing to cooperate pragmatically with China on global challenges, taking into account China's increasingly important role in global peace and stability, particularly in the context of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and the ongoing instability in the Middle East;

- consolidating the strategic partnership agreement between the Union and Japan and their security and defence partnership; it is important to further deepen the partnership of views rooted in shared values, both bilaterally and in multilateral contexts;

- advancing the implementation of the EU-Republic of Korea security and defence partnership, by promoting practical cooperation in the areas of maritime security, non-proliferation, cybersecurity, counterterrorism and crisis management;

- advancing the joint efforts with like-minded partners in East Asia to address Russia’s growing involvement with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), including its support in enhancing the DPRK’s nuclear and ballistic capabilities and China’s unwillingness to prevent it, as well as addressing the link between the nuclear programmes of the DPRK and Iran.

Taiwan

Parliament recommended:

- establishing a structured and comprehensive EU-Taiwan cooperation framework, focused on critical technologies such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence, supply chain resilience, cybersecurity, disinformation countermeasures, maritime security, public health, civil protection and secure connectivity, as well as democratic, social and energy resilience and disaster preparedness;

- recalling that Taiwan is a major democratic partner for the EU in the Indo-Pacific region and to further deepen the EU-Taiwan Trade and Investment dialogue with a view to removing barriers to market access and strengthening legal certainty for EU investors;

- reaffirming the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait by opposing any coercive unilateral change of the status quo; any dispute must be resolved peacefully through dialogue, in accordance with international law and with respect for the will of the Taiwanese people.

Economic security

Parliament recommended highlighting the importance of the EU’s economic security instruments to address coercive economic practices and safeguard fair competition, including the Anti-Coercion Instrument, effective mechanisms for foreign direct investment screening, and export control regimes. It also recommended ensuring that any future economic or sector-specific agreements with like-minded partners in the region are mutually beneficial partnerships that go beyond economic and security objectives, and also including strong commitments on labour rights, environmental protection and the development of clean and sustainable value chains.

The recommendation highlighted the crucial role of ASEAN, which helps to ensure stability and promote social and economic integration.

Text adopted by Parliament, single reading