The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Prospect Foundation will hold the Ketagalan Forum—2024 Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue at the Grand Hyatt Taipei on August 21. The eighth edition of the forum will be the first conference on regional security to be hosted by Taiwan’s new administration.

Canadian Minister of National Defence Bill Blair and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles held a bilateral meeting in Vancouver, Canada, on August 8. In the Joint Statement on Strengthening the Canada-Australia Defence Relationship issued after the meeting, they reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and their opposition to unilateral changes to the status quo.

Premier Cho Jung-tai pledged Aug. 7 to instill government officials with a deep understanding of artificial intelligence and its potential to build Taiwan into a global technology leader.

At the Cabinet’s weekly meeting on Thursday, Premier Cho Jung-tai received briefings from the Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Justice on one new and three amended laws related to the combating of fraud. The premier said the legislation, which was recently passed by the Legislative Yuan, will strengthen the nation’s legal system and enhance law enforcement tools for fighting fraud.

The secretary of state and secretary of defense of the United States and the minister for foreign affairs and minister for defense of Australia convened the Australia-US Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) in the United States on August 6. After the meeting, the US Department of State and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade issued a joint statement on the 34th AUSMIN.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will participate in the 2024 SDG Asia expo Aug. 8-10 at the Taipei World Trade Center to showcase its progress on sustainable development goals.

Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo and Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro Jr., convened the Philippines-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in Manila on July 30. Following the meeting, they issued a joint statement reaffirming the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of global security and prosperity.

The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) held its annual summit in Taipei on July 30. A total of 49 members from 23 countries and the European Parliament attended, setting a record high for the event. Through concrete action, the IPAC summit demonstrated support for Taiwan and opposition to China’s acts of intimidation.

The fourth annual meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China in Taipei City is welcomed by the government and people of Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said July 28.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) notes that EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell emphasized in his July 27 address to the 31st ASEAN Regional Forum that the European Union had a direct interest in maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. He stressed that the European Union opposed any unilateral attempts to change the status quo through force or coercion.