US, Japan, South Korea reaffirm commitment to cross-strait peace and stability
The defense ministers of the U.S., Japan, and South Korea convened on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, to discuss critical regional security concerns. The three officials reaffirmed their commitment to preserving stability in the Indo-Pacific. They also announced plans to launch joint military exercises. Meanwhile, China’s defense minister warned that any party that tries to separate Taiwan from China would cause its own destruction. In a statement, Taiwan’s Presidential Office condemned the remarks, saying that irrational claims would not be accepted by the international community.
The defense ministers of the U.S., Japan and South Korea met on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Sunday. They discussed topics including the Taiwan Strait, North Korea, and South China Sea. They also reiterated their opposition to any attempt to change the Indo-Pacific region’s status quo by force, underscoring the importance of cross-strait peace and stability. Amid escalating military threats from China and North Korea, the three countries pledged to continue to strengthen their trilateral security alliance.
Newscaster
TV Tokyo
A post-meeting press statement says that they intend to rotate hosting several high-level security meetings with defense ministers and joint chiefs of staff. They also announced a new multi-domain trilateral exercise called “Freedom Edge” will be held this summer.
While the three countries announced efforts to maintain regional stability, China’s defense chief Dong Jun used his speech on Sunday to direct threats at Taiwan and neighboring nations. He said that any party that tried to separate Taiwan from China would cause its own destruction. In response, Australia Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles expressed hope that Japan would join the AUKUS alliance, which currently comprises the U.S., the U.K., and Australia. He also asked for military talks with the CCP, warning China against taking rash action.
Richard Marles
Australia deputy prime minister
We’ve had a couple of incidents, which we have made public, which we have raised with China, which were not safe and they were not professional and they could have led to a very significant negative result.
Responding to the remarks of China’s defense minister, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council emphasized that the R.O.C. was a sovereign nation. It stressed that neither side of the strait was subordinate to the other, saying that was an objective fact and the current status quo. Presidential Office Spokesperson Lii Wen said that China was intentionally distorting the position of Taiwan’s government, threatening the use of force and exerting political pressure to exclude Taiwan representatives from the Shangri-La Dialogue. He said Beijing lacked the confidence to engage in dialogue with Taiwan, and that irrational remarks would not be accepted by the international community.
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2024-06-03
