July 28, 2024
The US-Japan Security Consultative Committee, or 2+2 meeting, was convened by the US secretaries of state and defense and the Japanese ministers for foreign affairs and defense in Tokyo on July 28. A joint statement was issued after the meeting, reaffirming the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of security and prosperity in the international community. It also called for cross-strait issues to be resolved peacefully. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) welcomes and appreciates the continued high regard that the United States and Japan have shown for cross-strait peace.
The statement pointed out that China’s foreign policy seeks to reshape the international order for its own benefit and achieve its objectives through military means. It also noted that this was of serious concern to the United States, Japan, and the international community and represented the greatest strategic challenge in the Indo-Pacific.
Authoritarian countries’ continuous outward expansion and challenges to the rules-based international order have caused volatility in the geopolitical landscape. As a responsible member of the Indo-Pacific, Taiwan will work steadfastly to deepen cooperation with the United States, Japan, and other like-minded nations to jointly safeguard the shared values of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. In addition, it will further collaborate with them to preserve peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and in the Indo-Pacific. (E)