August 7, 2024
The secretary of state and secretary of defense of the United States and the minister for foreign affairs and minister for defense of Australia convened the Australia-US Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) in the United States on August 6. After the meeting, the US Department of State and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade issued a joint statement on the 34th AUSMIN.
In the statement, the two countries reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and their shared opposition to unilateral changes to the cross-strait status quo. They called for the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues through dialogue, without the threat or use of force or coercion. They also expressed strong concern regarding China’s military and coast guard activity around Taiwan.
Both the United States and Australia recognized Taiwan as a critical partner and a leading Indo-Pacific economy and democracy. In addition, they reiterated their commitment to supporting Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations; further strengthening economic, trade, and people-to-people ties with Taiwan; and enhancing development coordination in the Pacific.
This marked the fifth consecutive year that the United States and Australia have publicly expressed staunch and comprehensive support for Taiwan in the joint statement of the annual AUSMIN. It was also the first time that they have expressed grave concern over China’s frequent military and coast guard activity around Taiwan, which has disrupted the status quo and escalated tensions in the region. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) sincerely welcomes and appreciates their support.
The United States and other like-minded countries have continued to regularly issue statements demonstrating their shared position on peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. These include recent statements following the US-Sweden Consultation on the Indo-Pacific, the US-Japan Security Consultative Committee, and the US-Philippines 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, all of which stressed the importance of maintaining cross-strait peace and stability, indicating that this has become international consensus.
As a responsible member of the Indo-Pacific, Taiwan will work steadfastly with like-minded nations to jointly safeguard the shared values of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law; uphold the rules-based international order; and preserve peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and in the Indo-Pacific.