On Sept. 21, the foreign ministers of the United States, Japan and South Korea reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, days before U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Washington.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Their joint statement opposed unilateral attempts to change the status quo and expressed support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in appropriate international organizations.
The statement came as Taiwan’s opposition Kuomintang (KMT) questioned the state of Taiwan-U.S. relations, citing delayed arms sales, President Lai Ching-te’s lack of a recent transit through the continental United States and reports of restrictions on some Taiwanese officials’ interactions with Washington think tanks.
Taiwan’s Presidential Office and Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the suggestion that relations with Washington were facing a serious deterioration.
US, Japan and South Korea reaffirm Taiwan Strait peace
Following their Sept. 21 meeting, Rubio, Motegi and Cho emphasized “the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait” and opposed attempts to unilaterally change the status quo.
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The three countries also expressed support for Taiwan’s “meaningful participation in appropriate international organizations,” according to a statement summarized by Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The ministers also reaffirmed freedom of navigation and overflight in the Indo-Pacific and elsewhere in accordance with international law.
Reuters reported that Washington also reiterated its “ironclad commitments” to the defense of Japan and South Korea during the meeting. The trilateral statement was issued ahead of the Sept. 24 Trump-Xi summit in Washington, where Taiwan is expected to remain a major issue in U.S.-China relations.
Taiwan welcomes trilateral statement
Taiwan’s Presidential Office welcomed the statement on Sept. 22.
Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo said peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and surrounding region represent a broad international consensus and are essential to global security and prosperity.
The three foreign ministers had demonstrated through “concrete action” their position on maintaining security and stability in the region, Kuo said, according to the Presidential Office.
Kuo said cooperation among democratic partners is necessary to uphold the rules-based international order, adding that Taiwan would continue strengthening its self-defense capabilities and the security and resilience of its supply chains.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs similarly welcomed the statement, saying the repeated public support from Washington, Tokyo and Seoul showed that Taiwan Strait security had become a “strong international consensus.”
“Peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are not only central to the security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region but also closely connected to the stability of the global economy and international supply chains,” the ministry said.
It added that Taiwan would continue strengthening its defense and resilience while cooperating with the United States, Japan, South Korea and other partners.
KMT questions strength of Taiwan-US relations
The KMT, however, raised concerns about Taiwan’s relationship with Washington.
KMT Culture and Communications Committee Director Chen Yi-hsin cited several developments, including Lai’s lack of a recent transit through the continental United States, delays involving U.S. arms sales and a New York Times report that some Taiwanese officials visiting the United States had been asked by Trump administration officials to reduce visits to Washington think tanks.
Chen said the developments showed that Taiwan-U.S. relations faced “severe challenges” and accused the Lai government of “self-deception” for describing bilateral relations as being at their best, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency.
Chen also disputed Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung’s characterization of the two countries’ interests, arguing that “U.S. interests have never been identical to Taiwan’s interests.”
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hsiao Kuang-wei rejected the KMT’s characterization during a Sept. 22 briefing.
“The government has continued to explain Taiwan-U.S. relations, and this certainly is not self-deception,” Hsiao said, according to the ministry’s official briefing transcript.
Hsiao said exchanges involving local governments, legislators and government agencies were continuing and that official communication channels between Taipei and Washington remained open.
He cited Deputy Minister of Digital Affairs Isabel Hou’s June visit to Washington as one example of ongoing exchanges.
Regarding Lai’s travel, Hsiao said any U.S. transit would depend on the president’s itinerary and could be arranged when circumstances allowed. On arms sales, he said Washington had repeatedly indicated that the process remained ongoing.
“I don’t feel that Taiwan-U.S. relations currently face severe challenges,” Hsiao said.
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