Taiwan thanks allies for supporting Strait peace

• By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter

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Taiwan yesterday welcomed and expressed appreciation for foreign ministers from the US, Japan and South Korea for emphasizing the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait at a trilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 in Atlanta, Georgia, on Friday.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Motegi Toshimitsu and South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun to review the progress of a trilateral partnership that aims to advance security and prosperity in a free and open Indo-Pacific region, the US Department of State said in a statement.

They emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, it said.

From left, South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi pose on the sidelines of a G20 meeting in Atlanta on Friday.

Photo: Screen grab from Rubio’s X account

Rubio also raised concerns over China’s efforts to assert control over the South China Sea, its coercive behavior in the East China Sea and Yellow Sea, and Russia-China cooperation that undermines peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, the statement said.

In Taipei, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) had expressed Taiwan’s gratitude to the US, Japan and South Korea for their close attention to the Taiwan Strait and regional security, and welcomes partner nations in continuing to maintain overall regional peace and stability through concrete actions.

The foreign ministers of the US, Japan and South Korea have publicly reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait several times this year, the ministry said.

That demonstrated that security in the Taiwan Strait is vital to regional stability, has become a matter of concern for the international community, and is an integral part of maintaining peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, it added.

Facing China’s continued escalation of military threats and “gray zone” harassment and intrusions, Taiwan will continue to deepen cooperation with the US and other like-minded nations to jointly maintain peace, stability and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and in the Indo-Pacific region, the ministry said.