By Martin Banks

Taiwan’s Representative to the EU has told MEPs “the only loser” of the country’s recent elections “was China.”

Dr. Roy Chun Lee, speaking in the European parliament on Wednesday, also said Taiwan voters had been subject to “intimidation” by China in the election.

Taiwanese voters swept the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential candidate Lai Ching-te into power in this month’s poll, strongly rejecting Chinese pressure to spurn him, as China said it would not give up on achieving “reunification”.

Lai’s party, which champions Taiwan’s separate identity and rejects China’s territorial claims, was seeking a third successive four year term, unprecedented under Taiwan’s current electoral system.

The newly appointed ambassador, who heads the Taipei Representative Office in the European Union and Belgium, was speaking at an event which aimed to shed light on the implications of the 2024 Taiwan election.

In an opening address, he thanked the audience for their “powerful testimonies about Taiwan’s (electoral) achievements.”

The diplomat, who until recently was deputy foreign affairs minister in Taiwan, also pointed out that he was still into just his first month as ambassador in Brussels, adding, “I have enjoyed my new assignment here so far. It has been a very interesting first month.”

The new president, he also noted, will not take up office until 20 May, a 4 month transition for “technical reasons.”

He told the packed audience on 31 January, comprising MEPs and experts in the field of democracy and human rights, there is a strong consensus in Taiwan for continued  strong cooperation with the EU and for Taiwan’s cross strait policy.

“We are also seeing a demand from the public to accelerate our reform agenda and the political process in Taiwan.”

“There is a demand for intense cross party cooperation to make these top priorities.”

He said the new president has stated that he will aim to maintain stable leadership and wants others to recognise the democratic outcome of the election.

Taiwan, he said, is committed to continuing and enhancing partnerships with democracies such as the EU and its member states.

“The fact that Taiwan has just carried out such a process is,  to our Chinese friends, something of a provocation.”

In the run-up to the election, China denounced Lai as a dangerous separatist, and called on the people of Taiwan to make the right choice while noting the “extreme harm of the DPP’s ‘Taiwan independence’ line”. They have also repeatedly rebuffed Lai’s calls for talks.

Since the last election in 2020, China has engaged in an unprecedented level of military activity in the Taiwan Strait, including holding two rounds of major war games near the island.

The Representative, in his first overseas posting, said, “The first winner of the election was the Taiwan population, not least as it was subject to the most intense and explicit electoral interference. Even so, we have made a decision independently and based on the electorate.”

“There was only one loser and this is China. It is not happy about the outcome and fact that the DPP stays in power. It has already made its displeasure clear.”

Turning to current and future relations with the EU, he was it was in its interest to stand firm with Taiwan, “despite a surge in Chinese intimidation.”

The attempt (in the election) was “not only to intimidate Taiwan but the EU and its Member States,” he told the meeting.

“So, saying No to China is to tell China that this is not the way to go.”

He concluded that “China is a very important and critical partner but in many cases they do not follow the rules

“We try to tell them to come back to the room and not to twist people’s arms.”

He also urged the EU “to say No to China” by engaging with Taiwan which the bloc should continue to see as “a trusted partner in many dimensions.”

He said he understands that many countries, in and outside of Europe, follow the so called “One China policy” but also pointed out that countries “around the world” also have different ways of interpreting this.”