The US and Australia yesterday issued a joint statement to emphasize the role of the two nations’ defensive alliance in securing peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, including countering Chinese aggression toward Taiwan.
The statement followed a ministers’ summit in Annapolis, Maryland, on Tuesday attended by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong (黃英賢) and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles.
The ministers affirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, their opposition to unilateral changes to the “status quo,” and called for the peaceful solution of differences without using force or coercion.
Photo: AFP
The US and Australia expressed “strong concern regarding China’s military and coast guard activity around Taiwan,” they said, adding that their governments are committed to Taiwan’s “meaningful participation in international organizations.”
In Taipei, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs thanked the US and Australia for supporting Taiwan at the annual Australia-US Ministerial Consultations over the past five years.
Taiwan thanked the ministers for unequivocally registering their concern over the provocative actions of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and the China Coast Guard around Taiwan, it said.
The deluge of joint statements from the ministerial consultations of the US and like-minded countries is evidence of a global consensus about the importance of maintaining Taiwan’s security, the ministry said.
“Taiwan is a responsible member of the Indo-Pacific region and will continue to collaborate with like-minded nations to defend an international order based on shared values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law,” it said.
Institute of Policy Research chief executive officer Wang Hong-zen (王宏仁) said the reference in the US-Australian joint statement to the China Coast Guard highlighted the recognition that China’s “gray zone” activities are a menace not only to Taiwan, but to the whole region.
Taiwan should aim to integrate its bilateral cooperative arrangements with Western nations within the greater multilateral framework of international cooperation in maritime search and rescue, the environment and security, Wang said.
Institute consultant Chen Wen-jia (陳文甲) said the US-Australia summit showed that the two nations can no longer turn a blind eye to Beijing’s saber-rattling around Taiwan, which represents a challenge to their strategic interests.
The ministers’ opposition to unilateral changes and use of force across the Taiwan Strait is a warning to Beijing to cease its proactive behavior and avoid increasing the risk of armed conflict, Chen said.
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