TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Germany and Australia reiterated the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait during a foreign and defense ministers meeting in Berlin on Monday.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles issued a joint statement opposing “any unilateral action to change the status quo by force or coercion.” They called for peaceful dialogue to resolve cross-strait issues and backed Taiwan’s global participation.
The officials also pledged to deepen cooperation between Europe and like-minded partners in the Indo-Pacific. They emphasized the importance of freedom of navigation and overflight under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, noting that the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award “is final and binding on the parties.”
Taiwan’s foreign ministry said this was the third such statement by Germany and Australia this year about peace in the Taiwan Strait, underscoring that it has become an international consensus.
The ministry said it will continue to work with Germany, Australia, and other like-minded countries to uphold peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region.
In a separate statement Monday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon also emphasized the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. In February, the Australian Anzac-class frigate Toowoomba passed through the Taiwan Strait.
