Taipei welcomes G7 leaders' stance on Taiwan Strait
Taipei, June 17
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on Wednesday welcomed Group of Seven leaders statement reaffirming their opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait by force or coercion.
Lai Ching-te stated that Taiwan will keep working with its partners to uphold regional peace and prosperity.
In response to G7 Leaders statement on X, Lai Ching-te stated, "Deeply appreciate the G7 leaders for reaffirming their opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait by force or coercion. As a responsible stakeholder, Taiwan will keep working with our partners to uphold regional peace and prosperity."
The G7 Summit is currently taking place under France's Presidency in Evian. In the statement on geopolitical issues, the G7 leaders reaffirmed opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo, especially by force or coercion, in the East and South China Seas and across the Taiwan Strait.
The statement read, "We highlight the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific based on the rule of law. We reaffirm our opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo, in particular by force or coercion, in the East and South China Seas and across the Taiwan Strait, which should only be resolved peacefully through dialogue."
The statement comes as China has increased the frequency and scale of its military exercises around Taiwan in recent years. China maintains that Taiwan is a part of its territory and needs to be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary.
Despite China's efforts, Taiwan, backed by strong public support, continues to assert its sovereignty and responds to China's incursions.
On June 12, Taiwan strongly condemned the intrusion into waters around Taiping Island by Chinese government vessels and urged the international community to jointly counter China's "illegal actions".
"MOFA strongly condemns brazen and unprecedented intrusion into waters around Taiping Island by Chinese government vessels, urges international community to jointly counter China's illegal actions," stated the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) of Taiwan on June 12.
Taiwan's Foreign Ministry stated that, on the morning of June 11, two Chinese government vessels committed a "brazen and unprecedented" intrusion into waters around Taiwan's Taiping Island.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs solemnly condemns China's unlawful actions, which harm Taiwan's sovereignty, undermine regional peace and stability, and challenge the international order," it said.
"Furthermore, MOFA reiterates that neither the ROC (Taiwan) nor the People's Republic of China (PRC) is subordinate to the other and that the South China Sea Islands are part of the territory of the ROC," it added.
It emphasised that Taiwan enjoys all rights over the South China Sea Islands and their relevant waters in accordance with international law and the law of the sea, which is beyond dispute and challenge.
"Following the illegal harassment by Chinese government vessels of cargo ships exercising their right to freedom of navigation in Taiwan's eastern waters in recent days, this was another hostile escalation of grey-zone activities and part of a pattern of aggressive behaviour that constitutes a grave threat to Taiwan's sovereign rights and interests and maritime security, as well as regional peace," noted the statement.
According to the statement, the incursion of Chinese government vessels into the waters surrounding Taiping Island has severely violated Taiwan's sovereignty and jeopardised the safety of Taiwanese vessels and personnel.
"China's malicious provocations and heavy-handed actions have severely contravened the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, other international laws pertaining to maritime safety, and the law of the sea. They have blatantly challenged the international order and disrupted regional peace, security, and stability," the ministry stated.
"MOFA once again urges the international community to recognise the serious and immediate threat that China's illegal actions pose to regional peace and stability, and to jointly counter China's unlawful conduct," the statement noted.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Look, I'm all for regional stability, but can someone explain why the West thinks it's okay to lecture others about territorial integrity while they themselves have a history of colonialism? Let Asian nations sort out their own issues.
From an Indian perspective, we understand the importance of not using force to change borders. But we also know that dialogue can only happen when both sides are willing. China needs to respect Taiwan's autonomy while Taiwan shouldn't provoke unnecessarily. 🙏
I'm an American living in India, and I see both sides. The G7 stance is important for international norms, but I agree with Indian friends that the West should be consistent. That said, military buildup around Taiwan is concerning for global trade routes.
The article mentions China's "illegal actions" - but isn't the One-China policy accepted by most nations? I'm not saying China is right, but we need to understand the historical context. Taiwan's current government seems to be pushing for independence which China will never accept.
As someone who follows geopolitics closely, I think India should stay neutral on this. We have our own boundary issues with China. Let's focus on resolving those through diplomatic channels rather than taking sides in the Taiwan Strait. 🕊️
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.