Amendments tabled by the S&D Group on 1 July 2026 to the European Parliament's report on East Asia propose a recalibration of the EU's strategic posture, introducing a critical assessment of the United States' role in the region and reaffirming the EU's commitment to the One China policy regarding Taiwan. The amendments would affect the EU's foreign policy stance and its relations with key partners in East Asia, including Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, as well as with the United States and China.
The two amendments, authored by MEPs Kathleen Van Brempt, Yannis Maniatis, Nacho Sánchez Amor, and Sandra Gómez López on behalf of the S&D Group, target the report drafted by rapporteur Adam Bielan (A10-0189/2026). The first amendment (Amendment 8) inserts a new recital stating that the security of Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan is "largely dependent on the United States" and highlights their vulnerability to "US unpredictability and economic coercion." This reframes the US not merely as a partner but as a source of strategic risk, justifying the need for these allies to "reinforce and diversify" their partnerships. The second amendment (Amendment 9) adds the phrase "the EU's continued commitment to its one China policy" to the operative paragraph on Taiwan, a phrase absent from the original text, which had focused solely on rejecting unilateral changes to the status quo. The amendments are still to be examined and voted on in committee and plenary, and do not yet represent the Parliament's final position.
The proposed changes would have several implications. For EU foreign policy, the amendments push for a more autonomous approach less aligned with US strategic dominance, potentially reducing the EU's reliance on the US for regional security. This could strengthen the EU's diplomatic relations with China, which advocates for the One China policy, but may create friction with the US and with allies like Japan and South Korea if they perceive the EU as downplaying US security guarantees. For Taiwan, the reaffirmation of the One China policy could be seen as a moderation of the EU's stance, balancing strong language against coercion with a clear diplomatic baseline. The amendments also highlight a cleavage between those favouring a more independent EU foreign policy and those prioritising transatlantic alignment. The report, once adopted by the committee, will proceed to a plenary vote where the full Parliament will decide on the final text, after which it may enter negotiations with the Council.