Month: December 2025

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA response to false and threatening statements on Taiwan’s sovereignty made by Chinese Defense Minister Dong during meeting with US Secretary of War Hegseth

October 31, 2025  

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) solemnly reiterates that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign and independent country; that neither the ROC (Taiwan) nor the People’s Republic of China is subordinate to the other; and that the future of Taiwan can only be decided by the people of Taiwan. These are objective facts and the general consensus of the international community.
 
China continues to exert pressure on other nations, attempting to coerce them into aligning with or accepting its position. This underscores China’s arrogance and hegemonic mentality. MOFA calls on the world to work with democratic Taiwan to safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the region and to oppose China’s efforts to unilaterally change the status quo.
 
MOFA refutes in the strongest possible terms the fallacious and threatening statements made by Chinese Minister of Defense Dong Jun during his meeting with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus in Malaysia on October 31, including his remarks that the United States should be cautious in its words and actions regarding Taiwan and that it should “take a clear stance against Taiwan independence.”

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA response to Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi raising importance of cross-strait peace and stability at ASEAN-Japan Summit

October 27, 2025Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attended the 28th ASEAN-Japan Summit in Malaysia on October 26. During the event, she reiterated that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait were important issues that directly impacted regional security. Prime Minister Takaichi added that attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion must not be tolerated. Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung appreciates and welcomes these statements. Since the 26th ASEAN-Japan Summit in 2023, Japan has publicly expressed concern over cross-strait issues at the meeting for three consecutive years. Japan has consistently stressed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait at numerous major international events this year, including the Japan-US summit, the Japan-US Defense Ministerial Meeting, trilateral meetings between the US secretary of state and the foreign ministers of Japan and the Republic of Korea, the Japan-EU Strategic Dialogue, the Japan-EU summit, the Japan-NATO summit, the Japan-Finland summit, the Japan-Guatemala summit, the Japan-Australia 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial Consultations, and the G7 leaders’ summit. These pronouncements have demonstrated the government of Japan’s firm position on urging the international community to prioritize cross-strait peace. They have also highlighted that stability across the Taiwan Strait is integral to global security and prosperity, and that democratic partners must work together to maintain the status quo.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomes continued expressions of concern over cross-strait issues by friends and allies at international meetings. As a responsible member of the Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan is committed to further enhancing its self-defense capabilities. In the spirit of integrated diplomacy, it will cooperate with Japan and other like-minded countries to staunchly defend the freedom, openness, peace, and prosperity of Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA response to French government’s National Strategic Review 2025 conveying concern over Taiwan and cross-strait security

July 15, 2025On July 14, the French government released its National Strategic Review 2025, which mentioned the Taiwan Strait and Taiwan six times. The report noted that China has continued to strengthen its military capabilities, increase the intensity of military exercises around Taiwan, exert pressure on Taiwan through military force and other means, and fuel tensions and instability in the region. The 2022 version of the policy document also stated that China’s military expansion had threatened the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. However, this year’s report devoted more attention to China’s threats against Taiwan. It also expressed France’s concerns regarding Taiwan and cross-strait security. Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung warmly welcomes and deeply appreciates the strategic review. Through the report, France has once again expressed concern over cross-strait security and reiterated the importance of Taiwan. The review follows from the joint declaration issued after President Emmanuel Macron of France met with Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom in London on July 10 for the 37th UK-France summit. In the declaration, the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasizes that Taiwan, as an indispensable member of the Indo-Pacific region, will continue to work with France and other democratic partners to defend freedom and democracy and staunchly uphold peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the Indo-Pacific.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA extends sincere congratulations to LDP President Takaichi on election as prime minister of Japan

Date：2025-10-21
Data Source：TAIWAN-JAPAN RELATIONS ASSOCIATION

October 21, 2025 
No. 411 

During a special session of the National Diet of Japan convened on October 21 to elect a new prime minister, Liberal Democratic Party President Sanae Takaichi obtained the votes required to become 104th prime minister of Japan. She will now go on to form a new cabinet.
 
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung extends his sincere congratulations to Prime Minister Takaichi and has instructed the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan to transmit a congratulatory telegram to Ms. Takaichi and the entire cabinet on behalf of the government of Taiwan.
 
Taiwan and Japan share such core values as democracy, freedom, human rights, and the rule of law and have long enjoyed close and friendly interactions. Cooperation in a wide range of areas, conducted through values-based diplomacy, alliance-based diplomacy, and economic diplomacy, continues to yield fruitful results.
 
Prime Minister Takaichi will be Japan’s first female prime minister. As an individual of great vision and courage, she has always staunchly supported Taiwan. Numerous members of her cabinet maintain close ties with Taiwan and have led delegations to Taiwan on many occasions, conducting extensive and in-depth exchanges with various sectors of Taiwan on issues of mutual concern and helping deepen friendly exchanges and collaboration between both nations.
 
Building upon this solid foundation, Taiwan looks forward to advancing cooperation with Prime Minister Takaichi’s new government. Continuing to promote a mutually beneficial comprehensive partnership in all areas of common concern and interest, Taiwan will work together with Japan to make even more contributions to Indo-Pacific peace, stability, and prosperity. (E)

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

September 29, 2025No. 375Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung attended a ceremony in Warsaw, Poland, on September 28 to witness the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Rebuilding Childhoods: Integrated Support for Vulnerable Children in Kyiv. Signed by Representative to Poland Jeff Liu and Deputy Director of the Kyiv City Center for Social Services for Families, Children and Youth Tetiana Badylevych, the MOU demonstrates Taiwan’s compassion in helping Ukrainians rebuild their lives through cooperation with international partners.In his remarks at the event, Minister Lin said that the initiative had come about following President Lai Ching-te’s inauguration last year and as a result of the president’s concern for the many Ukrainian children who had become unaccompanied or separated as a result of the brutal war. He added that this collaboration among the Taipei Representative Office in Poland, the Kyiv City Center for Social Services for Families, Children and Youth, the Italian nongovernmental organization WeWorld, and the Taiwan Fund for Children and Families (TFCF) had been facilitated by the tireless efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).Minister Lin emphasized that Taiwan and Ukraine shared a mutual belief in the values of freedom and democracy, which served as a bridge for maintaining friendship and deepening cooperation between the two countries. He said that he hoped the project would help Ukrainian children move toward a brighter, better, and more hopeful future.Speaking on behalf of the Kyiv city government, Deputy Director Badylevych said that despite the destructive war, every child deserved a happy childhood. She extended special thanks to Minister Lin, Representative Liu, WeWorld, and the TFCF for their willingness to help children and families in Kyiv.Members of the Ukrainian parliament Mykola Kniazhytskyi, who also serves as a cochair of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, and Andrii Lopushanskyi also attended and witnessed the signing ceremony. In addition, such media outlets as Polish public broadcaster TVP and newspaper Rzeczpospolita, Ukraine-based Espreso TV, and Taiwan-based Central News Agency were present to cover the event.The project will provide a diverse range of educational courses to vulnerable children in Kyiv, helping recover the mental health of those traumatized by conflict. It will also supply IT equipment to reduce the digital divide among children. In addition to these efforts, the initiative will assist the Kyiv City Center for Social Services for Families, Children and Youth in enhancing basic infrastructure and building the capacity of staff so as to ensure the sustainable development of children’s welfare and care in the city.Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, Taiwan has provided Ukraine with over US$150 million in humanitarian assistance. This has covered the rebuilding of key water and power infrastructure, as well as schools and hospitals. It has also funded the provision of smart technologies designed to help Ukraine expedite postwar urban recovery, including the establishment of a 5G smart city pilot zone, collaboration on smart health care, and the application of smart technologies in the training of human resources. Taiwan has also participated in international cooperation initiated by Lithuania to conduct humanitarian mine clearance.MOFA will continue to work hand in hand with international partners to provide the support most needed in Ukraine. It will also strengthen cooperation with Ukraine in all spheres so as to advance friendly ties between the people of both countries and implement President Lai’s values-based diplomacy. (E)

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA sincerely thanks Pope Leo XIV for publicly extending sympathies to Taiwan over losses caused by Typhoon Ragasa

Date：2025-09-29
Data Source：Department of European Affairs

September 29, 2025No. 374During a Jubilee mass on the morning of September 28, Pope Leo XIV offered a special prayer for those affected by Typhoon Ragasa, including the victims, the missing, the displaced, and rescue workers, in Taiwan and other countries.In July, Pope Leo XIV extended public condolences to Taiwan on the devastation caused by Typhoon Danas and instructed the Holy See’s Dicastery for the Service of Charity to provide aid to those impacted. His public expression of sympathies to Taiwan in the aftermath of Typhoon Ragasa reaffirms the profound friendship between Taiwan and the Holy See.On behalf of President Lai Ching-te, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung sincerely thanks Pope Leo XIV for his concern over losses caused by Typhoon Ragasa and for his prayers in the spirit of compassion and benevolence. Moving forward, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to collaborate with the Holy See to promote humanitarian assistance and charity work, thereby jointly advancing the universal values shared by all humankind. (E)

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA thanks foreign ministers of Malaysia and Australia for reaffirming support of cross-strait peace and stability

Date：2025-09-15
Data Source：Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs

September 15, 2025 
No. 339 

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan cochaired the 7th Malaysia-Australia Annual Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Melbourne, Australia, on September 12. In a joint statement issued after the meeting, the two sides reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and declared they had a stake in conflict prevention. The two sides stressed the need for open communication, reassurance, and transparency. MOFA sincerely welcomes and affirms the statement.
 
The foreign ministers’ meeting builds on the consensus reached at the 2024 2nd Australia-Malaysia Annual Leaders’ Meeting between Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, with senior officials from the two countries issuing a joint statement expressing support for cross-strait peace and stability for the second consecutive year. MOFA thanks its international partners for continuing to pay attention to developments concerning cross-strait and regional peace and for taking concrete actions to support the rules-based international order. Taiwan’s government will continue to implement integrated diplomacy and collaborate with like-minded nations to maintain democracy, peace, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. (E) 

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

September 13, 2025  
NO. 335  

Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung led a delegation to the Czech Republic from September 11 to 13. The delegation on September 11 attended the opening ceremony for 100 Treasures, 100 Stories, a special exhibition of Taiwan’s National Palace Museum (NPM) at the National Museum of the Czech Republic. The exhibition is a highlight of the Taiwan Culture in Europe 2025 initiative and demonstrates the close ties between Taiwan and Europe in terms of cultural values.
 
At the opening event, Minister Lin was joined by Minister of Culture Li Yuan, Director of the NPM Hsiao Tsung-huang, Vice President of the Legislative Yuan Johnny Chiang, and Legislators Yang Chiung-ying, Chen Hsiu-pao, and Lin Yi-chun, as well as friends from the Czech Republic and across Europe, including Czech Senate President Miloš Vystrčil and Chamber of Deputies Speaker Markéta Pekarová Adamová. 
 
The attendees enjoyed a performance by the National Chinese Orchestra Taiwan (NCO), which was arranged with assistance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). At the special exhibition, they admired such world-renowned NPM treasures as the Jadeite Cabbage sculpture and the Along the River During the Qingming Festival painting. During the reception, the attendees had the opportunity to interact with one another.
 
To ensure the safety of the NPM cultural relics on display, MOFA and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Prague engaged in negotiations with Czech officials for over a year, leading to the Czech Republic amending its law protecting national heritage in April 2024. This achievement underscored the importance that the two countries attach to cultural exchanges.
 
In addition, Minister Lin watched a performance of the NCO’s musical Formosa Roadside Wedding Banquet at the Czech Museum of Music on September 12. The performance, which integrated traditional Taiwanese folk music and opera, fully showcased Taiwanese culinary culture and received enthusiastic applause and wide acclaim from the audience.
 
Since assuming office, Minister Lin has leveraged integrated diplomacy to strengthen links between Taiwan and Europe in fields ranging from technology to culture. The Taiwan Culture in Europe 2025 initiative has sought to underscore the core values of freedom, openness, inclusiveness, and diversity shared by Taiwan and Europe and connect the democratic camp through culture.
 
MOFA will continue to work with the Ministry of Culture, the NPM, and other relevant agencies to deepen Taiwan’s exchanges with the Czech Republic and the rest of Europe through cultural activities, thereby enhancing bilateral relations and linkages through common values. (E)

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA response to Japanese Defense Minister Koizumi’s emphasis on importance of cross-strait peace and stability during meeting with Chinese defense minister

November 2, 2025 

Japanese Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi attended the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Malaysia and met for the first time with Chinese Minister of Defense Dong Jun on November 1. During the Japan-China defense ministerial meeting, Minister Koizumi emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung welcomes these statements and expresses his appreciation.
 
During the meeting, Minister Koizumi noted that security remained the most difficult aspect of Japan-China relations. He expressed serious concerns over China’s frequent and varied military activities in the East China Sea and the Pacific, as well as China’s increasing military maneuvers—including those conducted in cooperation with Russia—in the airspace and waters around Japan.
 
The rise of authoritarian expansionism poses a constant challenge to the rules-based international order and has heightened tensions worldwide. Cross-strait peace and stability are inextricably linked to global prosperity and security and are in the common interest of the global community. 
 
Taiwan is committed to steadily bolstering its self-defense capabilities and whole-of-society defense resilience, in addition to working hand in hand with democratic partners to advance peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA response to Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi reiterating importance of cross-strait peace and stability at Japan-China leaders’ meeting

November 1, 2025 

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held bilateral talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on October 31 during her trip to the Republic of Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. This marked her first meeting with the Chinese leader since she took office as prime minister.
 
During the meeting, Prime Minister Takaichi emphasized the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait to Japan and the international community. She also expressed deep concern about the situation in the East China Sea and the intensification of Chinese military activities near Japan, demanding that China properly address these issues. 
 
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung welcomes and affirms the Japanese government’s pertinent statements to the Chinese side conveying its continued high regard for Taiwan Strait security.
 
In recent years, Japan has on many occasions emphasized its deep concern over the security of the Taiwan Strait and the region during interactions with China, including the Japan-China leaders’ meeting at the APEC summit in November and the Japan-China foreign ministers’ meeting in Beijing in December in 2024, as well as the Japan-China foreign ministers’ meeting in Tokyo in March and the Japan-China foreign ministers’ meeting during the ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting in July in 2025. This demonstrates Japan’s firm support for peace across the Taiwan Strait.
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomes the concrete actions that the international community continues to take to safeguard security across the Taiwan Strait. Looking ahead, Taiwan will further enhance its self-defense capabilities, build whole-of-society defense resilience, and work closely with friendly countries and allies to jointly ensure the freedom, openness, peace, and prosperity of Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region.