A recent joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of the G7 nations has underscored the vital importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The Presidential Office of the Republic of China (Taiwan) expressed sincere gratitude and welcomed this reaffirmation. Taiwan is committed to strengthening its self-defense capabilities and collaborating with like-minded international partners to ensure regional security and stability.
The G7 foreign ministers, along with the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, convened in Paris, France, from November 9 to 10. On November 11, they released a joint statement highlighting the necessity of upholding peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. They pointed to the increasing assertiveness of the Chinese Communist Party in the waters east of Taiwan, which poses a threat to regional stability, freedom of navigation, and the safety of international shipping.
In their statement, the G7 reiterated its opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, particularly through the use of force, coercion, or intimidation. They encouraged both sides across the Taiwan Strait to engage in constructive dialogue to peacefully resolve relevant issues and voiced their support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations.
The joint statement also expressed serious concerns regarding the situations in the East China Sea and the South China Sea. It emphasized the importance of maintaining a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific region while upholding common principles such as sovereignty, territorial integrity, the rule of law, and peaceful resolution of disputes. The G7 reaffirmed its commitment to preserving freedom of navigation and overflight within the region and called on all nations to adhere to their obligations under international law, including the provisions outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
A spokesperson for the Presidential Office, Kuo Ya-Hui, issued a press release highlighting that the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait and the broader Indo-Pacific region are paramount to global security and prosperity. She expressed gratitude to France, the G7’s rotating presidency, and all member states and the European Union for their ongoing concern regarding the situation in the Taiwan Strait. Kuo acknowledged the challenges posed by authoritarian expansion to regional security and freedom of navigation while recognizing Taiwan’s substantial contributions to the international community.
Kuo stated that as a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan remains dedicated to enhancing its self-defense capabilities and overall societal resilience. The nation will closely collaborate with international partners, including G7 member countries that share similar values, to defend freedoms, democracy, and human rights. Taiwan is committed to fulfilling its international obligations to ensure the safety, stability, and prosperous development of both the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China remarked that the G7’s reiteration of the significance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, following the joint statement from the G7 Leaders’ Summit on June 17, 2023, serves as a testament to the global consensus on safeguarding the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. It affirms that the peace and stability of the region are closely linked to both regional and global security and prosperity.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Joseph Wu, expressed high appreciation and sincere thanks for this reaffirmation. The Ministry emphasized that as a responsible democratic nation in the Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan will continue to deepen cooperation with G7 member states and like-minded global partners to jointly uphold the rules-based international order, steadfastly safeguard universal values such as democracy, freedom, and the rule of law, and contribute to peace, stability, and prosperity both regionally and globally.