Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu discussed Taiwan’s relationship with its Pacific neighbor during an interview June 6 for an article released digitally by The Australian June 25 and published in print the next day.
Wu said that an exchange of accredited military attaches would provide Taiwan and Australia with consistent and systematic contact, enhancing the countries’ ability to share information and assess regional security concerns. The minister acknowledged that the proposition would require discussion, but stated that Taiwan welcomes such interactions with its neighbors, especially in the service of security.
Wu expressed his appreciation for the speech Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese delivered June 2 at the International Institute for Strategic Studies Shangri-La Dialogue, in which the PM mentioned building “guardrails” into regional dealings with China. Australia has always valued peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, Wu said, adding that the country’s support for Taiwan’s participation in the international community was always welcomed.
The minister spoke about Taiwan’s wish to deepen substantial cooperation with Australia as a way to enhance the bilateral relationship overall. Wu called on the country to start economic cooperation negotiations, since Taiwan is Australia’s only important trade partner without an agreement of this kind.
Wu reiterated Taiwan’s commitment to strengthen its self-defense capabilities and collaborate with like-minded democratic partners, but he also agreed with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s recent analysis that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is neither imminent nor unavoidable. The minister pointed out Taiwan and Australia’s shared core values of freedom, democracy and human rights and said that the two countries can jointly work to maintain rules-based international order. (POC-E)
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