Editor's note: On April 23, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called on European navies to "patrol the Taiwan Straits to show Europe's commitment to freedom of navigation in this absolutely crucial area." How will Borrell's remarks affect cross-Straits relations? CGTN Opinions, collaborating with Special Commentator Danny Haiphong, conducted an interview with Ali Abunimah, a Palestinian American journalist and Executive Director of Electronic Intifada, who shared his opinions on the topic. The views expressed in the video are his own and not necessarily those of CGTN. 

CGTN Opinions: The EU has been the most affected by its participation in the Ukraine proxy war. Now it is getting caught up in Taiwan. 

Earlier this month, French President Emmanuel Macron visited Beijing, where he distanced himself from the United States' Taiwan policy, and affirmed the one-China principle.

But now EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell is calling for the EU countries to send warships to Taiwan, following the U.S. path. What do you make of this and how do you understand this?

Ali Abunimah: China has never shown that it's interested in reintegrating Taiwan into China by force.

On the contrary, the consistent policy has been to integrate economically, which can be seen in the enormous growth of trade and investment between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.

The only factor that brings the military equation in is the foreign meddling, particularly the American meddling, but now also the EU's Josep Borrell, whose navy is going to go to Taiwan. 

The European navies have a few ships. What are they going to do? If they successfully provoke a war across the Taiwan Straits as they have provoked and instigated the war in Ukraine, are European armies going to go and rescue Taiwan? Are European navies going to go to Taiwan? No, they are not. 

So, what's going to happen? People are going to die for nothing. This is insanity.

It's the death throes of a dying empire. The U.S. and the EU see their power diminishing globally, and they are lashing out in every direction. They want to still prove "I still got it. I can still go anywhere in the world and subdue anyone."

You can imagine the reaction of Europe and Washington if China sends their brand-new aircraft carrier Fujian to the English Channel, the North Sea, or the Gulf of Mexico, or park it off New York Harbor. What the reaction would be?

Yet they think it is the most natural thing in the world for them to go and interfere on the other side of the world in a situation where nobody else asks them to. They can do no good, and there is no problem except them. 

Script editor: Lu Xiaoyi

Video editor: Feng Ran

Cover image designer: Li Jingjie

Executive producers: Bi Jianlu, Zhang Peijin, Wang Xinyan

Chief editors: Li Shou'en, Wang Ying

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com. Follow @thouse_opinions on Twitter to discover the latest commentaries in the CGTN Opinion Section.)