The head of the European diplomacy, Josep Borel, asked the navy of the EU member countries. to patrol the Taiwan Strait, in an op-ed published today in a French newspaper, after saying on Tuesday that Taiwan was of “crucial” importance to Europe.

Europe must be “particularly present in this matter, which concerns us from an economic, commercial and technological point of view,” Borel wrote in the Journal du Dimanche. “For this reason I am asking the navies of European countries to carry out patrols in the Taiwan Strait in order to demonstrate Europe’s commitment to freedom of navigation in this absolutely critical area,” he added.

“Taiwan is of crucial importance for Europe,” Borel had stressed on Tuesday at the start of a debate on China in the plenary session of the European Parliament.

“This is the most strategic strait in the world, especially in terms of trade: we need to be present there through freedom of navigation operations,” he had added.

“Taiwan is a decisive part of our strategic perimeter to ensure peace, to defend our interests,” the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy had noted.

These statements come a few days after the publication of an interview with French President Emmanuel Macron who, after an official visit to China, said he rejected “a logic of coalitions” on the Taiwan issue and called on Europe not to “be a follower” of the USA or China.

China and Taiwan have had separate governments since 1949, but Beijing considers the island one of its provinces and has not ruled out resorting to violence to assert its sovereignty there.