MOFA response to false claims regarding Taiwan in joint statement between PRC and Brazil
November 21, 2024
Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on November 20 signed and issued the Joint Statement Between the People’s Republic of China and the Federative Republic of Brazil on Jointly Building the China-Brazil Community with a Shared Future for a More Just World and a More Sustainable Planet. According to the statement, Brazil reiterated support for the “one China principle” and said that Taiwan was an inalienable part of Chinese territory. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) strongly protests and condemns these spurious claims that undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty.
MOFA reiterates that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is an independent and sovereign nation; that neither the ROC (Taiwan) nor the PRC is subordinate to the other; and that the PRC has never governed Taiwan for a single day. These are objective and universally understood facts. Taiwan is a modern, democratic nation that actively defends its democratic system and respects human rights and the rule of law. No statement distorting Taiwan’s sovereign status can alter the international consensus as to the situation across the Taiwan Strait.
Brazil is a country that pursues the core values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. MOFA calls on the government of Brazil to recognize the malevolent intentions behind China’s Belt and Road Initiative, to no longer echo the false narrative pushed by China through the so-called “one China principle,” to refrain from maliciously disparaging Taiwan’s sovereignty, and to avoid becoming an accomplice in authoritarian China’s attempts to jeopardize regional peace and stability.
MOFA reaffirms the Taiwanese people’s staunch commitment to upholding the values of freedom and democracy and urges the international community to jointly condemn China’s unilateral actions aimed at disrupting cross-strait peace and stability.
MOFA response to Australia, US, and Japan defense ministers emphasizing importance of cross-strait peace and stability
November 18, 2024
Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles, United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III, and Japanese Minister of Defense Gen Nakatani met on November 17 in Darwin, Australia. In the joint statement issued after the meeting, the ministers emphasized the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, called for the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues, expressed concern over developments in the South China Sea, and reiterated their strong opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sincerely thanks Australia, the United States, and Japan for continuing to publicly reaffirm their strong positions on jointly maintaining cross-strait peace and stability and upholding peace in the Indo-Pacific. Taiwan will continue to work with like-minded partners to defend the rules-based international order and advance regional peace, stability, and prosperity.
MOFA response to US President Biden again underscoring importance of cross-strait peace and stability in meeting with Chinese leader Xi in Peru
November 17, 2024
US President Joe Biden met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Lima, Peru, on November 16. During the meeting, President Biden reiterated that the United States opposed any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side of the Taiwan Strait, that it expected cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means, and that the world had an interest in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. He also called for an end to China’s destabilizing military activity around Taiwan. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) commends and welcomes President Biden publicly reaffirming the United States’ commitment to preserving peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait during interactions with the Chinese leader.
MOFA also thanks the Biden administration for placing great importance on, and doing its utmost through concrete actions to maintain, peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. This included a joint statement issued after the recent US-Japan-ROK leaders’ meeting recognizing peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. In the statement, the three countries announced the establishment of a trilateral secretariat to coordinate and implement their shared commitments and ensure that their joint efforts would make the Indo-Pacific a thriving, connected, resilient, stable, and secure region.
MOFA also notes that China’s press release on the Biden-Xi meeting again included fallacious and misleading narratives on Taiwan and Taiwan-US relations. MOFA reiterates that neither the Republic of China (Taiwan) nor the People’s Republic of China is subordinate to the other. It also stresses that, as the United States and other parties have repeatedly pointed out, China’s continuous military provocations around Taiwan are the biggest destabilizing factor for regional peace and stability and the biggest threat to global economic prosperity.
MOFA welcomes continued international attention on cross-strait peace and stability as well as concern over China’s threat to the peaceful status quo. As a responsible member of the global community, Taiwan will actively implement the Four Pillars of Peace action plan, leveraging its strengths to ensure peace. Taiwan is staunchly committed to defending itself and will steadily enhance its defense capabilities. It will also work with the United States and other like-minded partners to preserve peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and in the Indo-Pacific.
Taiwan donates €4 million to EBRD’s Ukraine Recovery and Reconstruction Guarantee Facility to help revitalize Ukrainian insurance market
Date：2024-12-14
Data Source：Department of European Affairs
December 14, 2024
No. 461
To assist Ukraine in revitalizing its domestic insurance market and to boost international investment interest in Ukraine, Taiwan has agreed to allocate €4 million from the TaiwanBusiness-EBRD Technical Cooperation Fund for the Ukraine Recovery and Reconstruction Guarantee Facility (URGF) initiative led by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The donation agreement was signed in Taipei on December 2 at a ceremony witnessed by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang. It was signed on behalf of Taiwan by Jonathan C. Y. Sun, Director General of the Department of International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and by Director for Donor Partnerships Camilla Otto on behalf of the EBRD.
The EBRD held a ceremony to launch the URGF in its London headquarters on December 12, which was attended by Taiwan Representative to the United Kingdom Vincent C. H. Yao. In his remarks at the event, Representative Yao said that Taiwan staunchly supported Ukraine and looked forward to working with like-minded democratic allies to assist in Ukraine’s reconstruction through the URGF mechanism.
Due to the Russia-Ukraine war, international reinsurance companies have had reservations about providing coverage for businesses operating in Ukraine. The EBRD thus aims to raise €110 million via the URGF mechanism so as to provide additional guarantees for potential losses incurred by war-related risks. This will increase international investor confidence and, in turn, accelerate economic recovery and improve the lives of the Ukrainian people. France, the United Kingdom, Norway, the European Union, and Switzerland have also pledged to donate to the URGF. (E)
Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome luncheon for Polish parliamentary delegation led by Deputy Senate Marshal Kamiński
Date：2024-12-13
Data Source：Department of European Affairs
December 13, 2024
No. 459
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung on December 12 hosted a luncheon to welcome a parliamentary delegation from the Republic of Poland led by Deputy Senate Marshal Michał Kamiński. During the event, the two sides exchanged views on regional developments, Taiwan-Poland relations, and economic and trade exchanges.
Minister Lin pointed out that both Taiwan and Poland had previously gone through periods of authoritarian rule but had since chosen the path of democracy. He remarked that bilateral relations had steadily advanced in recent years in such areas as the economy, trade, higher education, law enforcement, and science and technology. Minister Lin also affirmed that Taiwan would continue to work with Poland and other like-minded countries to bolster democratic resilience, deepen Taiwan-Europe economic and trade linkages, and forge resilient democratic supply chains throughout the world.
Furthermore, Minister Lin noted that the Polish-Taiwanese Parliamentarian Group released statements in April last year and May this year advocating Taiwan’s international participation and expressing concern over peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. He thanked friends from the Polish parliament for taking such concrete action in support of Taiwan and added that he looked forward to further collaborating in the future and deepening bilateral interactions and exchanges.
In his remarks, Deputy Senate Marshal Kamiński stated that Taiwan and Poland could learn from each other through exchanges in such fields as culture, the economy and trade, science and technology, and academia. He also said that due to Poland’s considerable economic development potential, many major Taiwanese enterprises had already invested in Poland, including Chi Mei Frozen Food and Compal, and that he anticipated that even more Taiwanese businesses would seek to develop market opportunities in Poland.
Taiwan and Poland share such universal values as freedom and democracy. In the future, the two countries will continue to work closely together to jointly promote prosperity and progress and protect hard-earned democratic achievements. (E)
Deputy Foreign Minister Wu to attend Somaliland presidential inauguration as special envoy of President Lai
Date：2024-12-11
Data Source：Department of West Asian and African Affairs
December 11, 2024 No. 458
President-elect of the Republic of Somaliland Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, who represents the Waddani National Party and previously served as speaker of the House of Representatives, will be sworn into office on December 12 following his election victory on November 13. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs François Chihchung Wu, serving as special envoy of President Lai Ching-te, is leading a delegation to Somaliland to attend the inauguration ceremony and extend congratulations on behalf of the government and people of Taiwan. His visit underscores the friendly relations between the two democratic countries.
Deputy Minister Wu arrived in the capital city of Hargeisa at noon on December 11. He was met at the airport by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Rhoda Jama Elmi on behalf of the Somaliland government. Representative of the Republic of Somaliland Representative Office in Taiwan Mohamed Omar Hagi Mohamoud and representative of the new government’s transition team Khadar Hussein Abdi were also there to welcome the delegation.
Deputy Minister Wu will attend the presidential inauguration and convey a message of congratulations from President Lai to President Abdullahi. He will also meet with outgoing President Muse Bihi Abdi and other prominent political figures, as well as representatives, envoys, and delegations from other nations, to exchange views on the latest international developments.
Somaliland is an important partner of Taiwan in East Africa. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to promote bilateral exchanges and cooperation across various domains and deepen the friendship between the two sides. (E)
MOFA responds to China’s military activities around first island chain; urges international community to jointly safeguard cross-strait peace and stability
Date：2024-12-11
Data Source：Department of Policy Planning
December 11, 2024
No. 457
China has recently deployed large numbers of PLA Navy and China Coast Guard vessels around the first island chain for days-long military exercises. It has also repeatedly dispatched military aircraft and vessels to harass Taiwan, unilaterally disrupting peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, unnecessarily escalating regional tensions, and interfering with regular international shipping and trade. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) demands that the Beijing authorities immediately cease their military intimidation and all other unreasonable behavior that is jeopardizing regional peace and stability.
An international consensus has been reached on the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region. Although cross-strait and regional developments are closely followed by the international community, China continues to ramp up rhetorical and military intimidation against Taiwan. China’s large-scale military buildup around the first island chain has created uncertainty and risk, giving countries in the region cause for concern. This underscores the fact that China is a destabilizing force that is undermining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
China’s provocative actions toward Taiwan and other countries in the region are a clear violation of the United Nations Charter, which stipulates that all countries must refrain from the threat or use of force to infringe on the territorial sovereignty of another country. MOFA solemnly demands that China immediately stop violating international law and demonstrate that it can be a responsible major power.
Taiwan will do its utmost to fulfill its international responsibilities, calmly respond to China’s military threats, staunchly safeguard its sovereignty and national security, and firmly defend democracy and freedom. MOFA urges democratic partners worldwide to unite with Taiwan to jointly counter authoritarian expansionism and encroachment, prevent repeated attempts to unilaterally and deliberately disrupt the status quo, uphold the rules-based international order, and together preserve peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific. (E)
MOFA welcomes ANZMIN joint statement supporting cross-strait peace and stability
Date：2024-12-07
Data Source：Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs
December 7, 2024No. 452 Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles and Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong met with New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters and Minister of Defence Judith Collins in Auckland on December 6 for the second Australia-New Zealand Foreign and Defence Ministerial Consultations (ANZMIN) this year. In the joint statement issued after the meeting, they reiterated the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, opposed unilateral changes to the status quo, and expressed concern over the situation in the South China Sea. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) welcomes and appreciates this statement. Australia and New Zealand are important friends of Taiwan in the Indo-Pacific region, and bilateral relations with both countries have made significant strides in recent years. Given that maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea has become a global consensus, MOFA invites the international community to continue expressing its concerns and take practical action to uphold the rules-based international order. The Taiwan government will continue to promote values-based diplomacy and work with like-minded countries to advance democracy, peace, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. (E)
The bilateral naval exerciseVARUNA 2025, held from19 to 22 Mar 25, brought together Indian Navy and the French Navy, underscoring their enduring partnership.
This edition of the Exercise included exercises ranging across multi domain environments. The structured drills were designed to further fine-tune tactical and operational proficiency in complex scenarios. Advanced Air defence drills with the participation ofRafale-M of the French Navy and MIG-29K of the Indian Navy, simulating realistic combat scenarios, honed the ability of participating units to counter aerial threats jointly.Anti-Submarine Warfare exercises involving Indian submarine and Anti-Submarine frigates of the two forcesfocused on deepening the understanding and proficiency in underwater domain awareness and tactics. Surface warfare operations involved complex coordinated manoeuvres and simulated engagements, showcasing the combined combat power of the participating fleets.Replenishment At Sea exercises by the two Fleet Tankersproved the logistical interoperability and enhanced mutual support and endurance for sustained operations. This edition of the exercise achieved a higher degree of operational coordination between the two navies than the previous editions.
The exercise achieved its aim of enhanced Jointmanship and reinforced the shared commitment to upholding the principles of a rules-based maritime order and promoting stability in the Indo-Pacific. The complex drills provided invaluable operational experience, strengthening the collective capacity to address contemporary maritime security challenges. The exercise facilitated the critical exchange of Best Practices, fostering a deeper understanding of each other’s operational doctrines and enhancing the two navies’ ability to operate seamlessly in complex maritime environments. Since its inception, theVarunaexercise has been a cornerstone of India-France defence relations, with both countries recognising the importance of maritime security and collaborative defence efforts. France and India share a strong commitment to safeguarding global Sea lanes and addressing shared maritime security challenges.
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal joins Global Maritime Leaders at Singapore Maritime Week (SMW) Meets key Singapore Ministers to strengthen bilateral maritime & trade ties
Deliberates with ministerial counterparts from France, The Netherlands, Norway & Portugal on navigating Global Maritime Trends at SMW
Posted On: 24 MAR 2025 6:59PM by PIB Delhi
The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal joined Global Maritime Leaders at the Singapore Maritime Week (SMW) to discuss, deliberate and devise strategies based on the shared vision for a secure, sustainable and prosperous maritime future. The Minister highlighted the challenges and India’s vision to channel growth of the maritime sector around that. Shri Sonowal also argued for strengthening maritime connectivity and supply chains while the need for collective effort towards a green sustainable maritime future.
On digitalisation and future ready shipping, the Union Minister reiterated how it is the core strategy of India’s maritime policy. India’s maritime policies like ONOP, NLP (Marine), and MAITRI are streamlining port services, cutting transaction times, and enabling real-time data. India is also partnering with the UAE and Singapore to create Virtual Trade Corridors for seamless cargo movement.
Speaking on the occasion, the Union Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal said, “India’s maritime vision, rooted in ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, promotes collaboration and shared prosperity. As a reliable and responsible partner, India is committed to building a green, secure, and inclusive maritime future. Alongside Singapore and global partners, we aim to drive innovation and collective action for a resilient maritime ecosystem.”
Shri Sonowal met Senior Minister and ex PM of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong at the SMW. Union Minister was ushered to the bilateral meeting with Murali Pillai, Minister of State, Ministry of Law and Ministry of Transport, Singapore. The Union Minister also held individual meetings with other senior members of the government including Dr Tan See Leng, Minister for Manpower and Second Minister of Trade and Industry, Singapore; Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Singapore. Sonowal said at the SMW that India is addressing supply chain vulnerabilities by developing key corridors like IMEEC, the Eastern Maritime Corridor, and the North-South Transport Corridor to secure trade routes. A USD 20 billion investment would enhance logistics, port connectivity, and trade facilitation. India targets a top-five global shipbuilding rank by 2047 through policy reforms and infrastructure upgrades. Ports aim to grow their global cargo share from 6% to 15% by 2047, supported by a Maritime Development Fund for fleet and shipyard expansion. The GIFT City is also rising as a global hub for maritime finance and ship leasing, offering a competitive gateway to global capital, highlighted Shri Sarbananda Sonowal at the SMW Adding further, he said, “The maritime sector faces both challenges and opportunities, from climate change and geopolitics to digital disruption and shifting trade patterns. Guided by PM Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat and Atmanirbhar Bharat, India is advancing as a modern, self-reliant, and globally connected economy. The maritime sector is key to driving growth, resilience, and sustainable connectivity. India is expanding port infrastructure, integrating logistics, and boosting ease of doing business—resulting in greater port efficiency, stronger cargo flows, and growing investor confidence.”
In his concluding remark, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal said, “Sustainability is central to India’s maritime strategy. We are advancing green port infrastructure, promoting low-emission shipping, and supporting innovation in low-carbon vessels. Three Green Hydrogen Hub Ports— Kandla, Tuticorin, and Paradip—will drive alternative fuel adoption and green hydrogen production. India is also leading the IMO’s Green Voyage 2050 initiative, helping developing nations in their energy transitions. Our commitment, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, extends to developing Green Shipping Corridors, including the proposed India-Singapore Green and Digital Corridor, focused on clean energy and smart logistics. Oceans unite us. Through partnerships, we can turn today’s maritime challenges into shared, sustainable opportunities.” Sarbananda Sonowal also met Industry Captains including Jeremy Nixon, Global CEO, ONE and Masashi Hamada along with other corporate leaders from the Maritime Sector including APM Terminals, Gateway Terminals.