The backing was expressed in a statement released following the Australia-U.K. Ministerial Consultations held July 25 in Sydney. At the event, Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles met with the U.K. Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy and Secretary of State for Defence John Healey.
In the statement, the ministers and secretaries stressed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, opposed unilateral changes to the status quo and expressed concern about China’s recent military exercises surrounding Taiwan. They further advocated for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations and reaffirmed that their respective countries will continue deepening ties with Taiwan in areas spanning culture, economy, science, technology and trade.
The statement followed an EU press release issued July 24 after the 25th EU-China summit in Beijing. Among the attendees were the European Council President António Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Kaja Kallas, the high representative of the EU for foreign and security policy.
In the release, the EU expressed concern about increased tensions in the Taiwan Strait and stated that heightened instability in the East and South China Seas threatens regional and global prosperity and security. The EU opposes any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion and urges peaceful dispute resolution in accordance with international law.
The EU issued the White Paper for European Defence—Readiness 2030 in March to convey similar sentiments, the MOFA said, noting that the EU’s European External Action Service also made announcements in response to three large-scale military exercises carried out by China since last May. The ministry added that the government will continue working with like-minded partners to promote peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and safeguard the rules-based international order. (YCH-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw
from Taiwan Today – Top News