Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoko Kamikawa and Minister of Defense Minoru Kihara convened the Australia-Japan Foreign and Defence Ministerial Consultations with Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles near Melbourne on September 5. The two sides agreed to deepen defense cooperation, underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and expressed strong opposition to any unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force or coercion in the South China Sea and anywhere else in the world. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) sincerely appreciates and strongly affirms these statements.

Maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the South China Sea has become a matter of global consensus. MOFA welcomes like-minded countries’ continued attention on this issue at international events, appreciates their opposition to any unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force or coercion, and recognizes their concrete efforts to uphold the rules-based international order. The Taiwan government remains committed to promoting values-based diplomacy and jointly safeguarding democracy, peace, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. (E)