“Taiwan is indeed a European problem”

Europe must set its own course on China and not, as French President Macron said, blindly follow the United States. So says Han ten Broeke, former VVD deputy and director of political affairs at the Center for Strategic Studies in The Hague, in the BNR’s De Wereld. “We are wrong about the extent to which the Americans are willing to turn the wheel on allies.”

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According to Ten Broeke, we are naive “to the extent that we think we can reconcile ourselves to American interests. They are now fierce in their opposition to China. They are on a collision course and we cannot afford it. Ten Broeke advocates a European alternative, but remains critical of Macron.

Macron returned from Beijing with a delegation from the French business world and all sorts of lucrative contracts for Airbus, then claimed on behalf of Europe that Europe had nothing to do with Taiwan. In this case, Ten Broeke understands the Americans who say that Europe itself should take responsibility for Ukraine. “Taiwan is indeed our problem, contrary to what Macron says.” Ten Broeke points out that if Taiwan is indeed blocked by China, Europe will suffer greatly as crucial trade chains will come to a standstill.

According to Ten Broeke, there is no simple answer to the question of how Europe can best position itself in this field of American-European-Chinese tension. He knows, however, that a response has at least two components: a military and an economic one.

Brussels

According to Ten Broeke, the economic aspect must come from Brussels and the first steps have already been taken there: the Net Zero Act and the Critical Materials Act. Ten Broeke argues that Europe should try to achieve this strategic autonomy by redoubling its efforts. “But then we have to accept that we are going to extract our own raw materials”, because “we are completely wrong several times in the whole chain”. “We must abandon this destructive economic attitude.”

In the military field, it is important for Europe to have a European leg within NATO. Europe must also be ready to make its contribution in the Taiwan Sea. “And Macron’s statements don’t help that.”

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