The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday expressed gratitude to the US, Japan and South Korea for their continuous attention to issues across the Taiwan Strait, and their efforts to maintain cross-strait peace and stability.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Yoko Kamikawa and South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul “discussed efforts to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait” on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Thursday, US Department of State spokesman Mathew Miller said.
The three leaders also exchanged views on “ongoing and future efforts to support one another’s respective Indo-Pacific strategies,” as well as North Korea’s provocative behaviors and the conflict in Gaza during the trilateral meeting, Miller said.
Photo: EPA-EFE / South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs
In Taipei, the ministry welcomed the discussion by the three heads of foreign affairs based on the collective stance their leaders adopted at a historic summit at Camp David, Maryland, in August last year.
US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in a post-summit statement reaffirmed “the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of security and prosperity in the international community,” and called for a peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues.
China’s provocative actions intended to undermine the “status quo” across the Taiwan Strait, such as its military intimidation against Taiwan and a unilateral change to flight route M503, have posed severe challenges to regional security and aroused great concern from the international community, the ministry said.
Like-minded nations have reiterated the importance of cross-strait peace and stability during leaders’ summits and multilateral meetings, showing that a strong consensus exists on the issue, it said.
As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan is to continue working with international partners to safeguard the rules-based international order, and promote regional peace, stability and prosperity, it added.
Separately, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday thanked the Japanese government for underlining the importance of cross-strait peace and stability.
Tsai made the remarks during her meeting with Sasakawa Peace Foundation executive director Nobukatsu Kanehara at the Presidential Office in Taipei.
Tsai thanked Kanehara, a senior diplomat, for his support and concern about relations between Taiwan and Japan, and for providing insights on Taiwanese and Japanese affairs in books and at forums.
She also expressed gratitude to the Japanese government for reaffirming the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait on many occasions.
Taiwan and Japan have always been good friends that support each other, such as overcoming the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, and signing agreements to facilitate economic, industrial and cultural exchanges, she said.
Tsai said she hoped to see the two sides continue to expand their cooperation in various fields, and to jointly safeguard democracy and freedom to create a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old