November 13, 2023
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Japanese Minister of Defense Kihara Minoru, and Republic of Korea Minister of National Defense Shin Wonsik held a meeting on November 12 in hybrid format. In addition to discussing defense and security cooperation issues, the ministers emphasized the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as indispensable to security and prosperity in the international community. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) sincerely welcomes this statement.
During the meeting, the three ministers discussed regional security issues, including the nuclear and missile threat posed by North Korea as well as closer cooperation on addressing security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. They emphasized the importance of the rules-based international order, expressed strong opposition to any unilateral change to the status quo through force or coercion, and underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait to security and prosperity in the international community.
Peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are crucial to security and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific region. MOFA welcomes any measures taken by the international community to help maintain peace across the Taiwan Strait. As a member of the democratic camp, Taiwan will continue to strengthen cooperation with like-minded countries such as the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea so as to collectively safeguard democracy, freedom, and peace in the international community.