New Southbound Policy Portal

China has disregarded statements by numerous foreign governments that expressed condemnation and concern and called for an immediate halt of its military drills, continuing naval and air exercises in the waters surrounding Taiwan for several days. It has launched multiple missiles and dispatched numerous aircraft and vessels to enter Taiwan’s air defense identification zone and cross the Taiwan Strait median line. China is intentionally escalating its military threats, thereby unilaterally undermining both the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and regional security. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) once again condemns China in the strongest terms and solemnly demands that the Chinese government act with reason, exercise restraint, and immediately halt its provocative actions that continue to escalate tensions and unreasonably threaten the people of Taiwan.

The government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) sincerely thanks the international community for continuing to express support for Taiwan. Both the G7 Foreign Ministers and the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting released joint statements extending strong public support to democratic Taiwan. A joint statement issued August 5 by the foreign ministers of the United States, Japan, and Australia urged China to put an immediate halt to its military exercises. European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell once again stressed that the status quo should not be changed unilaterally by force.

The government of Taiwan also conveys gratitude to the legislative branches of like-minded and friendly countries for their just expressions of support. To date, over 300 parliamentarians have backed Taiwan and denounced China’s military coercion through Twitter, letters to the editor, and other channels. Robert Menendez, Chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Jim Risch, a ranking member of the committee, issued a joint statement that criticized Beijing’s live-fire exercises for upending cross-strait peace and stability. Japan House of Councillors Member Masahisa Sato, who heads the Liberal Democratic Party’s working group on Taiwan policy, used Twitter to strongly condemn China’s military pressure on Taiwan. Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the French National Assembly Jean-Louis Bourlanges stated that the people of Taiwan have the right to live freely in their own territory. Many other notable parliamentarians—including the President of the Senate and Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic; the Speaker of the Seimas of Lithuania; the vice presidents of the European Parliament, the National Council of Slovakia, the Danish Parliament, and the Swedish Riksdag; and the chairpersons of the foreign affairs committees of the UK House of Commons, the Senate of Australia, and the German Bundestag—have also made strong public expressions of support for Taiwan’s democratic values.

With each instance of China’s military coercion against Taiwan, we see the determination of the global alliance of democracies to stand up against authoritarianism and uphold democracy. Taiwan will fulfil its international responsibilities, calmly respond to China’s unreasonable military threats, firmly defend Taiwan’s sovereignty and national security, and protect the front line of democracy and freedom. MOFA calls on the international community to jointly condemn China’s irrational military provocations, which unilaterally undermine the cross-strait status quo and pose a grave challenge to regional security. Furthermore, MOFA urges countries around the world to continue to express support for democratic Taiwan, voice their concerns regarding cross-strait peace, jointly deter the expansion and aggression of authoritarianism, maintain the rules-based international order, and defend a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (E)

Related Link(s)
• U.S.-Australia-Japan Trilateral Strategic Dialogue
• 29th ASEAN Regional Forum: Speech by the High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell