Australia is committed to working with Taiwan and other Indo-Pacific partners to safeguard regional peace and stability as it serves the common interests of the people of Australia and Taiwan, Australian lawmaker Josh Wilson said yesterday.
Wilson and Australian lawmaker Paul Fletcher are leading a delegation of cross-party Australian lawmakers to Taiwan for a visit until tomorrow.
During a meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) at the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday, Wilson said that Australians and Taiwanese hope for a peaceful, stable, environmentally sustainable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
Photo: Presidential Office via AP
Working together with regional partners to build an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region based on respectful and collaborative participation in the rules-based order is “both sensible and right,” he said.
It is also the only way to successfully tackle common challenges such as climate change, he added.
Wilson said that he believes relations between the two sides would become even stronger, especially in areas such as clean energy transition, critical minerals, education and tourism.
Wilson commended Tsai for her contributions to democracy and governance in Taiwan, and to good governance in the region through her “sustained and progressive leadership.”
Fletcher said that with the two major parties in Australia both represented, the delegation hoped to “further the warm relationship between Australia and Taiwan.”
It is Australia’s hope that it can maintain close contact with Taiwan, as it is an important economic partner and “a valued democracy” in the Indo-Pacific region, he said.
Overseas Taiwanese in his constituency recently held an event to celebrate new progress in relations between Taiwan and Australia — imports of Taiwanese pineapples, which he very much enjoyed, Fletcher said.
Tsai thanked the delegation for demonstrating Australia’s cross-party support for Taiwan, adding that the Australian parliament has long been a key force in advancing Taiwan-Australia relations.
She also extended her gratitude to Australia for underlining the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and supporting Taiwan’s international participation.
Taiwan has become Australia’s fifth-largest trading partner and fourth-largest export market thanks to joint efforts by both sides, the president said.
Taiwan looks forward to continuing to bolster economic cooperation with Australia, which is the nation’s largest energy provider and a major source of agricultural goods, she added.
Tsai also called on the Australian government and parliament to support Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) to promote economic growth and sustainable development in the region.
Later yesterday, the delegation met with Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃), who also called for its support for Taiwan’s bid to join the CPTPP.
Taiwan plays an important role in restructuring global supply chains in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era, You said, adding that the nation is “a trustworthy trading partner,” as it always abides by international trade regulations, and the principles of fairness and transparency.
Including Taiwan in the CPTPP would promote regional economic integration, enhance Taiwan’s economic resilience, and strengthen economic cooperation between Taiwan and Australia, he said.
Super Typhoon Kong-rey is the largest cyclone to impact Taiwan in 27 years, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. Kong-rey’s radius of maximum wind (RMW) — the distance between the center of a cyclone and its band of strongest winds — has expanded to 320km, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said. The last time a typhoon of comparable strength with an RMW larger than 300km made landfall in Taiwan was Typhoon Herb in 1996, he said. Herb made landfall between Keelung and Suao (蘇澳) in Yilan County with an RMW of 350km, Chang said. The weather station in Alishan (阿里山) recorded 1.09m of
STORM’S PATH: Kong-Rey could be the first typhoon to make landfall in Taiwan in November since Gilda in 1967. Taitung-Green Island ferry services have been halted Tropical Storm Kong-rey is forecast to strengthen into a typhoon early today and could make landfall in Taitung County between late Thursday and early Friday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, Kong-Rey was 1,030km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), the nation’s southernmost point, and was moving west at 7kph. The tropical storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 101kph, with gusts of up to 126 kph, CWA data showed. After landing in Taitung, the eye of the storm is forecast to move into the Taiwan Strait through central Taiwan on Friday morning, the agency said. With the storm moving
NO WORK, CLASS: President William Lai urged people in the eastern, southern and northern parts of the country to be on alert, with Typhoon Kong-rey approaching Typhoon Kong-rey is expected to make landfall on Taiwan’s east coast today, with work and classes canceled nationwide. Packing gusts of nearly 300kph, the storm yesterday intensified into a typhoon and was expected to gain even more strength before hitting Taitung County, the US Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center said. The storm is forecast to cross Taiwan’s south, enter the Taiwan Strait and head toward China, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The CWA labeled the storm a “strong typhoon,” the most powerful on its scale. Up to 1.2m of rainfall was expected in mountainous areas of eastern Taiwan and destructive winds are likely
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday at 5:30pm issued a sea warning for Typhoon Kong-rey as the storm drew closer to the east coast. As of 8pm yesterday, the storm was 670km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻) and traveling northwest at 12kph to 16kph. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 162kph and gusts of up to 198kph, the CWA said. A land warning might be issued this morning for the storm, which is expected to have the strongest impact on Taiwan from tonight to early Friday morning, the agency said. Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) and Green Island (綠島) canceled classes and work