Japan and Australia held a 2+2 meeting between their foreign and defense ministers in Melbourne on the 5th, expressing concerns over the South China Sea issue and emphasizing the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan) sincerely thanked this move and noted that peace and stability in both the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea are global consensus.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, Australian Defense Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, and Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara issued a joint statement after the meeting. They discussed issues such as recent incursions of Chinese military aircraft into Japanese airspace and agreed to deepen defense cooperation.
In a press release, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan) highlighted that the four ministers from Japan and Australia held a joint meeting near Melbourne on the 5th, agreeing to enhance defense cooperation and reaffirming the significance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait while strongly opposing any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo in areas like the South China Sea by force. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its high affirmation and sincere gratitude for this stance.
The Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea is a global consensus, welcoming like-minded countries to continue expressing their concerns on international platforms, opposing any attempts to change the status quo by force, and ensuring a rules-based international order through concrete actions.
The Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentioned that the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) will continue to promote “Values Diplomacy” to jointly uphold democracy, peace, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, aligning with countries sharing similar values.