Beijing Pressures EU to Restrict Taiwanese Politicians from Entering the Schengen Zone

By: Aram Shirinyan

Amid rising tensions between China and the island of Taiwan, the Chinese government has made an effort to pressure the European Union to ban the entry of Taiwanese politicians into EU territory, citing an “institutional loophole” that has allowed Taiwanese politicians to enter EU territory when they should not be permitted to do so. 

This “loophole” that Beijing speaks of refers to the Schengen Borders Code, which says that non-EU citizens can only enter if they do not threaten the international relations of member states with other countries. “The officials’ suggestion, the Guardian understands, was that allowing Taiwanese officials to enter a European country would threaten that country’s international relations with China” (Davidson, 2026).

In response to this, assistant professor at Taiwan’s National Dong Hwa University, Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy, said, “It is Beijing’s interpretation that EU-Taiwan ties threaten EU-China ties. This is not at all the perception or reality in Europe.” 

This “legal advice” from China follows Vice President of Taiwan Bi Khim Hsiao’s address to a small group of European lawmakers in the European Parliament. In this address, Hsiao stated that “In an era marked by increasing fragmentation, volatility and rising authoritarianism, this gathering affirms something vital that democracies, even when far apart, are not alone.” This quote from Hsiao highlights increasing Taiwan-Europe relations, evidenced by how the Vice President describes democracies joining from far apart. These relations between the two are very threatening to China, especially in their pursuit of a “One China Policy.”

This has not been the first time China has attempted to sour Taiwan-EU relations. Romanian senator Christian Ghinea tells The Independent that following a visit to Taiwan, he faced immense backlash from Chinese officials after his calls for bilateral ties between Romania and Taiwan to be resumed—To the point where propaganda articles were made by the Chinese embassy in Romania that emphasized a “One China” policy, and said that one day China will “rule the world.”

Tensions between China and Taiwan have been going on for decades. An authoritarian China has attempted to integrate and annex a democratic Taiwan into its territory under a “One China” framework. This has faced great backlash from many major world powers, the most significant of them being the USA, as they are one of Taiwan’s largest backers. By doing all of this, it seems that China “seeks to isolate the island from potential political backers” (Rai, 2026).

  Countries like Norway and Finland have been confirmed to have received this advice, with them responding by saying  “Visa regulations with Taiwan were determined by relevant Schengen bodies” (Davidson, 2026). Countries like the UK, which are not even in the EU, have shared this sentiment as well. Showing that China’s efforts of isolation may not have worked in the way that they hoped.

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Works Cited

BBC News. (2024, January 8). China and Taiwan: A really simple guide. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-59900139 

Davidson, H. (2026, January 13). China pressing European countries to bar Taiwan politicians or face crossing a ‘red line.’ The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/13/china-europe-pressure-block-taiwanese-politicians-visas 

McNeil, S. (2025, November 7). Taiwan’s vice president calls for closer EU ties in rare address to international lawmakers. The Independent. https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/europe/taiwan-china-beijing-brussels-taiwan-strait-b2861007.html 

Rai, A. (2026, January 20). China steps up pressure on European nations over engagement with Taiwan. The Independent. https://www.the-independent.com/asia/china/china-taiwan-invasion-european-romania-africa-b2901715.html 

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Photo by Council of Foreign Relations