Australia and Japan confirmed their support of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and expressed strong opposition to any unilateral changes to the status quo in the South China Sea by use of force. The statement was made on Thursday during a joint meeting between Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Yōko Kamikawa. Recent strategic dialogues between leaders of New Zealand, the United States, and South Korea have also been in consensus about the position.
Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hsiao Kuang-wei (蕭光偉) responded, saying that Taiwan welcomes and expresses its gratitude to the international democratic countries with similar ideals that have publicly expressed their support for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait on many occasions.
Following the Pacific Islands Forum in August, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and other countries with great influence on Pacific regional affairs have publicly reiterated their support for maintaining the status quo as well as serious concerns about the situation in the South China Sea.
The Foreign Ministry emphasized that Taiwan will continue to promote value-based diplomacy and jointly safeguard democracy, peace, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. The ministry says it will continue to welcome countries with similar ideals to express their positions on the international stage while ensuring a rules-based international order through practical actions.