MEP urges EU to reconsider One China policy

The EU needs to “re-examine” its long-standing support of the so-called One China policy, warns veteran British MEP Charles Tannock.

His comment comes in the wake of renewed criticism regarding the refusal by the UN to grant press passes to journalists carrying Taiwanese passports or working for Taiwanese media outlets.

For the past four years, Taiwanese journalists have been barred from covering the annual world health assembly, the supreme decision-making body of the World health organization.

The refusal to accredit Taiwanese journalists has been based on the fact that Taiwan is not a member of the UN and is expected to be endorsed when the WHA convenes for its general assembly in Geneva in May.

The International press institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in over 120 countries, condemned the practice of linking journalistic accreditation to a country’s UN membership.

Its director David Dadge said, “Administrative obstacles to press freedom and access to information are serious human rights violations.

“We urge the UN to revise such policies so they properly reflect the fundamental UN principles of equality and respect for press freedom. If this is not done, there is a very real danger to members of the Taiwanese public, who rely on the media for information about public health matters.”

Tannock, a member of parliament’s Taiwan friendship group, echoed his comments and called on the EU and member states to review their continued support of the One China policy, which does not recognise Taiwan as a sovereign state.

Speaking from Strasbourg, where parliament is holding its monthly plenary, the Conservative MEP said, “The EU continues to seemingly prefer a big, brutal dictatorship to a small, democratic country and I am asking the EU and its member states to re-examine the One China policy.

“It is totally wrong that journalists should be unable to cover the events of an important global event such as the WHA in Geneva for what are purely political reasons.”

Meanwhile, an international journalists’ group, which has just returned from a four-day visit to China, has appealed to the Chinese authorities to stop what it calls interference with news coverage leading up to the Beijing Olympics.

The group includes the Brussels-based International federation of journalists, whose secretary general, Aidan White, said, “In the last few weeks, the political heat has been turned up over Tibet and journalists have found themselves in the cross-fire.

“Our aim is to get China to open itself up to independent media coverage.”

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