February 2, 2024
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters MP and Minister of Defence Judith Collins KC MP of New Zealand visited Australia from January 31 to February 1. Together with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles MP and Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator Penny Wong of Australia, they held the inaugural session of the Australia-New Zealand Foreign and Defence Ministerial Consultations (ANZMIN). The joint statement issued following the meeting reiterated the importance of preserving peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the two countries’ opposition to unilateral changes to the status quo. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) sincerely welcomes and affirms this statement.
Since assuming office, the Australian administration under Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has affirmed on multiple international occasions the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, opposition to unilateral changes to the status quo by any side, and support for Taiwan’s international participation. Meanwhile, following the completion of New Zealand’s general election last October, the new coalition government led by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has actively taken steps to demonstrate its commitment to the maintenance of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
The joint statement by Australia and New Zealand further demonstrates that the two countries pay high regard to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. MOFA expresses its sincere appreciation for this statement, which highlights Taiwan’s key role in the stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region and the world, as well as the steadily increasing support for Taiwan among the global democratic camp.
The government of Taiwan will continue to build on the existing solid foundation of cooperation to work closely with Australia, New Zealand, and other like-minded countries so as to safeguard security across the Taiwan Strait and in the Indo-Pacific region; expand Taiwan’s international space; and defend the democratic system, shared values, and the rules-based international order.