TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Wednesday (Aug. 7) welcomed the US-Australia joint statement issued a day earlier, which opposed unilateral changes to the regional status quo. 

The statement called for the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues through dialogue and expressed concern over China's military and maritime activities around Taiwan.

MOFA pointed out in a statement that this is the fifth consecutive year that the US and Australia have publicly demonstrated their support for Taiwan in their annual AUSMIN joint statement.

The joint statement comes as Taiwan announced a 6% increase in its defense budget for 2025 on Tuesday (Aug. 6), reaching a new high of NT$647 billion (US$19.80 billion), per the Presidential Office. “We are determined to enhance our self-defense capabilities and strengthen cooperation with democratic partners to ensure peace and prosperity,” President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said at a Cabinet briefing on Tuesday.

“As a responsible member of the Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan will continue to work with like-minded countries to defend common values of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law,” MOFA said. Taiwan remains committed to safeguarding peace and prosperity in the Taiwan Strait and Indo-Pacific region, it added.