Jaushieh Joseph Wu
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of China (Taiwan)
September 27, 2023
(As Prepared for Delivery)
Good evening!
On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I extend a sincere welcome to our friends from the Parliament of Australia. Your visit demonstrates staunch support and friendship for Taiwan.
Taiwan and Australia share an unwavering commitment to peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. We also share a common interest in safeguarding our free-market economies and the rules-based multilateral trading system. And through our flourishing cooperation, we are working together to address the geostrategic challenges of our time.
Our two nations possess complementary strengths in a range of sectors, including biotechnology, energy, minerals, education, and agriculture. In consequence, Taiwan now proudly stands as Australia’s fifth-largest trading partner. Two-way trade has soared to a substantial 41.5 billion Australian dollars, representing a considerable leap from 15.2 billion Australian dollars in 2020. Australia is also Taiwan’s largest energy and minerals supplier. And as our nations’ economic ties continue to grow, the signing of a bilateral free trade agreement would further solidify these remarkable gains and take our trade relations to new heights.
To safeguard supply chain resilience and facilitate regional economic integration, Taiwan is also willing and able to join the CPTPP. We have an outstanding track record of meeting our trade commitments and are certain of meeting the partnership’s high standards. With this in mind, we hope we can rely on Australia’s support for Taiwan’s accession to the CPTPP. Being able to work together to ensure free and fair trade based on open, market-oriented policies would benefit all economies and help secure prosperity for all.
A shared belief in democracy, freedom, human rights, and good governance forms the bedrock of the Taiwan-Australia friendship and binds us together in a common cause. Taiwan is a leading democracy that can make meaningful contributions to strengthening democratic institutions, countering authoritarianism, fighting corruption, and advancing human rights. I look forward to seeing Taiwan and Australia continue to work hand in hand to support open and transparent governance, counter the threat of disinformation, and boost civil societies, particularly in the Pacific.
Taiwan is located in a pivotal position along the first island chain and stands on the front line of defense against authoritarian expansionism. As China’s economic and military might has grown stronger, it has become increasingly aggressive in flexing its military muscles in an attempt to intimidate Taiwan, threatening our democratic way of life. We continue to do all we can to maintain the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and safeguard peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. And we are committed to bolstering security cooperation with Australia and other like-minded countries.
Taiwan greatly appreciates Australia’s consistent and high levels of support. This year’s AUSMIN statement reiterated joint US and Australian concerns over cross-strait tensions, supporting the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and opposing any unilateral attempts to change it. Peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are indispensable to global security and prosperity. Taiwan seeks to deepen cooperation with Australia to jointly uphold a free, open, inclusive, and resilient Indo-Pacific region.
In closing, I once again welcome you all to Taiwan. I look forward to discussing how we can advance cooperation and partnership between Taiwan and Australia even further. Thank you!