TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The foreign ministry welcomed a delegation of lawmakers from Queensland, Australia, on Tuesday.
The delegation, comprising Trevor Watts, Kerri-Anne Dooley, and Melissa McMahon, arrived Monday for a five-day trip. They will attend a banquet hosted by the foreign ministry and meet with Taiwanese government agencies to exchange views on issues of mutual concern, according to the foreign ministry.
They will also visit facilities and organizations involved in Taiwan’s information and communications technology, healthcare, energy, and policing sectors to learn more about Taiwan’s achievements. The group aims to explore opportunities for future cooperation and promote deeper exchanges, per the foreign ministry.
Taiwan and Australia share universal values including democracy and freedom, the foreign ministry said. It added that Taiwan and Queensland have frequent interactions in areas including industry, education, and tourism.
The ministry said it looked forward to working with Queensland to strengthen the Taiwan-Australia friendship and promote prosperity and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Last week, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles and Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait in a joint statement.
The two officials also opposed any unilateral action to alter the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and supported cross-strait dialogue “rather than coercion or the use of force.”
