Foreign Minister Wu urges stronger Taiwan-Australia security cooperation

2021/10/06

Taiwan is committed to strengthening security cooperation with Australia and other like-minded partners as part of efforts to promote peace, stability and prosperity throughout the Indo-Pacific, according to Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu.
 
The country is on the front line of China’s authoritarian expansionism, Wu said. This involves disinformation, hybrid warfare, military threats and repeated attempts to thwart the country’s international participation, he added.
 
Taiwan is a democracy where the majority’s opinion is respected, Wu said, adding that the government will continue maintaining the cross-strait status quo of peace and stability in line with the wishes of the country’s 23.5 million people.
 
Wu made the remarks during an exclusive interview with Stan Grant, host of “China Today,” aired Oct. 4 by Sydney-based Australian Broadcasting Corp.
 
According to Wu, Taiwan and Australia are forces for good cherishing shared values such as freedom, democracy, respect for human rights and rule of law. Both countries also place a premium on realizing the vision of a more peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific, he said.
 
The government is defending the country’s democratic way of life, as well as freedom and democracy for like-minded partners around the world, Wu said. The struggle is ongoing, but democracy will prevail in the end, he added.
 
Wu said the government is pleased to see Australia playing a bigger role in the Indo-Pacific. Taiwan welcomes increasingly close security cooperation among Australia, the U.S. and U.K. in defense of rule-based order and common regional interests, he added.
 
Regarding Taiwan’s application for membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, Wu thanked Australia’s Minister of Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan for his support. The government will continue negotiating with every member of the trade bloc to demonstrate Taiwan’s commitment to meeting the high standards of the CPTPP, he said.
 
In a tweet on its official Twitter account, the MOFA said “#Taiwan’s security & economic cooperation with #Australia & other like-minded #IndoPacific partners was among the top talking points in Minister Wu’s @ABCaustralia interview. Watch as he details the threats from China against the #IslandOfResilience.” 


Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)