Taipei, June 17 (IANS) Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on Wednesday welcomed Group of Seven (G7) 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
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