April 18, 2023
no. 112
The Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers’ meeting was held in Nagano Prefecture in Japan from April 16 to 18. The ministers’ communiqué issued after the event reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element in security and prosperity in the international community. It also called for the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues and expressed support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the World Health Assembly and technical meetings of the World Health Organization. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) strongly welcomes the communiqué and thanks the G7 countries for their staunch support of Taiwan.
The ministers’ communiqué further reiterates the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific and expresses concern over the situation in the East and South China Seas. It stresses strong opposition to any unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force or coercion and pointedly reminds China to uphold the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and abstain from threats, coercion, intimidation, or the use of force.
MOFA notes that the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has continued its habitual tactic of distorting and misrepresenting facts, falsely claiming that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory and that the G7 foreign ministers’ communiqué is tantamount to support for Taiwan independence and the disruption of the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. MOFA solemnly reiterates that neither the R.O.C. (Taiwan) nor the People’s Republic of China is subordinate to the other. This is a long-standing objective fact and the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan’s sovereignty belongs only to its entire populace and only the Taiwanese people have the right to determine Taiwan’s future.
As a responsible member of the Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan will continue to safeguard, through concrete action, the core values of democracy, freedom, human rights, and the rule of law. It is also willing to bolster cooperation with G7 countries to jointly advance international prosperity and stability. (E)