TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japan Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi, and South Korea Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.

In a joint statement, they reiterated that Taiwan Strait peace is “an indispensable element of security and prosperity” for the world and called for a peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues. The officials rejected unilateral attempts to alter the regional status quo through force or coercion and voiced support for Taiwan’s participation in global organizations.

The three countries reaffirmed their opposition to any unilateral changes in the Indo-Pacific, underscoring their commitment to “maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific and ensuring international law prevails.”

They also pledged to strengthen deterrence through continued trilateral military exercises, with the US reaffirming its alliances with Japan and South Korea.

Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) thanked the three nations for supporting Taiwan Strait peace and said Taiwan would continue to bolster defense capabilities and cooperate with like-minded partners, including the US, Japan, and South Korea, “to ensure peace, stability, and prosperity in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region.” 

Last week, the US Navy sent the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson and the Pathfinder-class survey ship USNS Bowditch through the Taiwan Strait. "The transit occurred through a corridor in the Taiwan Strait that is beyond any coastal state's territorial seas," said Navy Commander Matthew Comer, a US Indo-Pacific Command spokesperson.