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U.S., Australia stress commitments to Taiwan in 2+2 talks

ROC Central News Agency

12/07/2022 01:02 PM

Washington, Dec. 6 (CNA) The United States and Australia have expressed strong opposition to China's "destabilizing" actions in the region and support for upholding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait in ministerial-level talks.

In a statement after the annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) on Tuesday, the two countries described Taiwan as a leading democracy in the Indo-Pacific region, an important regional economy, and a key contributor to critical supply chains.

They reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and opposed any unilateral changes to the status quo, according to the statement.

They also committed to working together to support Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations and enhancing economic, social, and people-to-people ties with Taiwan, while also continuing to coordinate efforts on development in the Pacific with Taiwan, the statement said.

The annual talks, known as the 2+2 talks because they involve the defense and foreign ministers of each country, were held in Washington on Tuesday.

They were attended by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong and Minister for Defence Richard Marles.

Aside from voicing support for Taiwan, they expressed strong opposition to destabilizing actions by the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the South China Sea, such as the militarization of disputed features and dangerous encounters at sea and in the air.

They also expressed concern about other actions by the PRC, including the assertion of excessive maritime claims that are inconsistent with international law, and pledged to work with others to support regional maritime security and uphold international law, the statement said.

(By Stacy Hsu and Shih Hsiu-chuan)

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