European Council President Charles Michel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol underlined the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait in a joint statement on Monday.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday welcomed the statement, which was issued after the three leaders met in Seoul for the 10th EU-Republic of Korea Summit.
“We stress the importance of preserving peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and oppose unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the Indo-Pacific,” the statement said.
Photo: AP
They also reaffirmed their support “for freedom of overflight and of navigation, including in the South China Sea, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.”
South Korea has since May 2021 openly highlighted the importance of cross-strait peace and stability, the ministry said.
Tensions over Taiwan “occurred because of the attempts to change the status quo by force, and we together with the international community absolutely oppose such a change,” Yoon told Reuters last month.
While Yoon was in Washington last month, he and US President Joe Biden in a joint statement “reiterated the importance of preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of security and prosperity in the region.”
Von der Leyen last month said that Europe has a very clear interest in preserving cross-strait stability, adding that “the threat of, or the use of, force to change the status quo is unacceptable.”
Taiwan is happy to work closely with like-minded nations to safeguard the rules-based international order against coercion from authoritarian regimes, the ministry said.
In other diplomatic news, visiting Saint Lucian Deputy Prime Minister Ernest Hilaire yesterday at a meeting with Vice President William Lai (賴清德) said that his country would seize every opportunity to support Taiwan’s full participation in all international organizations.
Saint Lucia knows that Taiwan should be included in all international organizations, as its participation would only make those organizations richer, he said.
As a family, Saint Lucia and Taiwan love each other and would take care of each other, Hilaire said.
“Taiwan and Saint Lucia are both island countries, and even the shapes of the islands are very similar. I believe it is not a coincidence, but a destiny for us to be partners,” he added.
Hilaire said he hoped that the delegation he led to Taiwan could explore ways to deepen cooperation in cultural industries.
Lai thanked the Caribbean ally for voicing support for Taiwan at the World Health Assembly and called on the democratic world not to fall into the trap of the “one China” principle.
Taiwan is a guardian of peace, which is priceless and in the interest of the whole world, the vice president said.
As an island nation, Saint Lucia boasts beautiful scenery, Lai said, adding that he hopes to see more cooperation between the two sides in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era, especially in tourism.
Typhoon Usagi yesterday had weakened into a tropical storm, but a land warning issued by the Central Weather Administration (CWA) was still in effect in four areas in southern Taiwan. As of 5pm yesterday, Tropical Storm Usagi was over waters 120km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), the southernmost tip of Taiwan proper, and was moving north at 9kph, CWA data showed. The storm was expected to veer northeast later yesterday. It had maximum sustained winds of 101kph, with gusts of up to 126kph, the data showed. The CWA urged residents of Kaohsiung, Pingtung County, Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春) to remain alert to
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