TAIPEI (TVBS News) — President Tsai Ing-wen met with an Australian cross-party parliamentary delegation at the Presidential Office on Monday (April 8) to discuss enhancing regional peace and building stronger ties.
Australian MP Andrew Wallace emphasized the importance of security cooperation in the ever-changing geopolitical landscape, stating that Taiwan and Australia's interests are rule-based, aiming for an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region and jointly opposing any forces threatening stability.
Shayne Neumann, the chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade in Australia's House of Representatives, stated that Australia and its allies are working together to ensure regional balance, maintain the status quo in Taiwan, and oppose any unilateral actions.
President Tsai noted that this is the third consecutive year Australian parliamentarians visited Taiwan after the global pandemic eased, fully demonstrating the deep friendship between Taiwan and Australia. In March, Taiwan and Australia held an international workshop on combating cross-border fraud crimes through the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF) platform, along with the U.S., U.K., and Japan.
The Taiwanese President expressed hope for Australia's support in deepening economic and trade links through a Taiwan-Australia economic cooperation agreement and for Taiwan's inclusion in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) to promote regional prosperity jointly.
Wallace added that the strategic partnership between Taiwan and Australia has significantly contributed to regional security, stressing the importance of defense cooperation, with both sides participating in joint military exercises and intelligence sharing.
Currently, Australia, the U.S., Japan, and the Philippines are conducting joint naval exercises in the South China Sea.