JOINT STATEMENT:G7 ministers said they opposed unilateral attempts to change the ‘status quo’ and supported Taiwan’s participation in international organizations
Staff writer, with CNA
Taiwan will continue bolstering its self-defense capabilities and resilience following a joint statement by G7 foreign ministers emphasizing the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, the Presidential Office said yesterday.
Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo （郭雅慧） reiterated that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the Indo-Pacific region are vital to global security and prosperity.
Taiwan will continue to bolster its self-defense capabilities and whole-of-society resilience while working with like-minded international partners — including G7 members — to uphold freedom, democracy and human rights while fulfilling its international responsibilities, Kuo said.
Taiwan also thanked G7 members for continuing to monitor cross-strait developments and supporting the nation’s meaningful participation in international organizations, she added.
Executive Yuan spokesperson Michelle Lee （李慧芝） said the government welcomed the G7 statement, adding that Taiwan would continue working with like-minded international partners to uphold democratic values and human rights.
The joint statement was issued after G7 foreign ministers and the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy met in Paris on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The ministers expressed concern over China’s increasingly assertive activities in waters east of Taiwan, saying they threatened regional stability, freedom of navigation and the safety of international shipping.
They reaffirmed their opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the “status quo,” particularly through the use or threat of force.
The ministers encouraged the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues through constructive dialogue and expressed support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations.
China has since June stepped up activity off Taiwan’s east coast, sending regular coast guard patrols.
Officials in Taiwan said they believe China is practicing for a potential maritime blockade using overlapping military, paramilitary and civilian assets.
France, Germany, the UK and the US have previously expressed worries about China’s actions off Taiwan’s east coast, but the G7 statement is the strongest unified expression of concern about Beijing’s activities to date.
Taipei regards the area off its east coast as critical to wartime supply routes from allies in the event of a blockade or conflict.
China’s military operates around Taiwan on a daily basis.
China is carrying out “area denial” drills in the Western Pacific involving one of its aircraft carriers and other naval formations, Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo （顧立雄） said on Tuesday, following a reported rise in Chinese activities.
Additional reporting by Reuters
新聞來源：
TAIPEI TIMES