Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) yesterday expressed gratitude to his counterparts in the US, Japan and South Korea for voicing concerns over the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) “provocative” live-fire exercises around Taiwan.
In a news release, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said a joint statement issued by the three nations on Thursday underscored that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is an international consensus and a matter of global interest.
“It is clear that China is a troublemaker in the international community, seeking to alter the ‘status quo,’” the ministry said.
Photo: EPA-EFE
As a responsible member of the global community, Taiwan would continue working with like-minded democratic partners, such as the US, Japan and South Korea, to safeguard cross-strait peace, stability and prosperity, it said.
The statement was issued in response to a declaration made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Takeshi Iwaya and South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul following their meeting in Brussels on Thursday.
A section of their joint statement addressed China’s threats to Taiwan, including the military exercises launched on Tuesday.
In it, they described peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as “an indispensable element of security and prosperity for the international community” and condemned Beijing’s recent military drills as “provocative actions.”
At the same time, their statement adhered to Washington’s established position on Taiwan, opposing any unilateral attempts to change the “status quo,” while expressing support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in appropriate international organizations.
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