Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III, and Japanese Defense Minister Nakatani Gen held talks in Australia on Sunday. They issued a joint statement emphasizing the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and called for the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues. They also expressed their concerns about the situation in the South China Sea and said they oppose any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo through force or coercion.
Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry responded Monday, expressing gratitude and intent to continue cooperating with partners with similar ideals to safeguard rules-based international order and promote regional peace, stability, and prosperity. The ministry also reiterated that Taiwan will actively implement the Four Pillars of Peace action plan and bolster its self-defense capabilities.
U.S. President Joe Biden echoed these sentiments at the Japan-U.S.-ROK Summit Meeting on November 15. He further reiterated the United States’ firm position on upholding the status quo in the Indo-Pacific, highlighting that security across the Taiwan Strait is essential to security throughout the entire region.