August 9, 2024
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) strongly refutes recent comments made by former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating during a press interview that Taiwan was “Chinese real estate.”
MOFA reiterates that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is an independent and sovereign country; neither the R.O.C. (Taiwan) nor the People’s Republic of China is subordinate to the other; Taiwan is absolutely not the “real estate” of any country; and this constitutes the internationally recognized status quo. Taiwan actively defends its democratic system and respects human rights and the rule of law. It will not accept intimidation or coercion by other countries. Nor will it allow its sovereign status to be changed by biased comments made by a few foreign individuals ignorant of the current international situation.
Taiwan and Australia are like-minded Indo-Pacific partners sharing common strategic interests. In recent years, the government of Australia has issued multiple joint statements with the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, the Philippines, New Zealand, and other nations reaffirming its support of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and endorsing Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations. Australian officials including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong solemnly expressed Australia’s position and concerns when hosting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Premier Li Qiang this year. These developments underscore Australia’s high regard for the Taiwan Strait situation, which it considers to be of vital national importance. Former Prime Minister Keating’s comments were completely incompatible with the current geopolitical situation and absolutely did not reflect mainstream international opinion.
The Taiwan government will continue to enhance cooperation with Australia across all domains, establish ever closer friendly relations, remain committed to jointly safeguarding the democratic community, and work proactively with like-minded countries to advance democracy, peace, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.