TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Australian lawmakers from Victoria established the Australia-Taiwan Club (ATC) at a ceremony in the state’s parliament on Thursday (Oct. 5).
ATC Co-chair Luke Donnellan said the club’s main purpose is to facilitate deeper political, diplomatic, and business ties between Taiwan and Australia. Donnellan said it was "frustrating" and "inappropriate" that bilateral ties are "in many ways considered like a hidden relationship," according to ABC News.
Victoria Minister for Industrial Relations Natalie Hutchins pointed out that Taiwan is Australia's fourth largest trading partner by some measures. "There are many people in the room who are committed to making that even bigger. We want to make that even bigger," Hutchins said. "There are just so many opportunities for us to work well together."
The minister added that there is potential to expand political ties between Victorian and Taiwanese parliamentarians. There are "a lot of opportunities for Victorian politicians to learn from the democratic system in Taiwan," she said.
Director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Melbourne Ray Lu (呂明澤) thanked Donnellan and Lee Pei-Ling (李珮玲), the honorary chair of the Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce in Oceania, for promoting the ATC and to lawmakers in attendance for their steadfast support for Taiwan.
Lu said he looked forward to using this cross-generation and cross-disciplinary platform to connect more pro-Taiwan allies, promote Taiwan's brand and image across Australia, and deepen mutual friendships and understanding.
The creation of the ATC comes as Taiwan is pressing Australia for support in its bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). When a visiting Australian parliamentary delegation met with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) last month, Tsai said she looked forward to backing from the Australian government and parliament for Taiwan's inclusion in the CPTPP.
Taiwan aims to promote economic growth and sustainable development in the Indo-Pacific region, she said. In August, Taiwan's envoy to Australia Douglas Hsu (徐佑典) told ABC News that he is prioritizing economic ties with Canberra.
