MIL Asia Pacific Publishing Engine

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA response to commentary regarding Taiwan’s handling of Japan-Philippines negotiations on maritime boundaries

Date：2026-06-05
Data Source：Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs

June 5, 2026  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) once again reiterates that future negotiations on the demarcation of maritime boundaries between Japan and the Philippines and any associated outcomes would have no effect on the sovereign rights enjoyed by Taiwan in accordance with international law and the law of the sea, and would not impact the implementation of fishing agreements between Taiwan and Japan or Taiwan and the Philippines. This has been publicly confirmed by the relevant countries and is substantiated by the fact that, based on the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties and international juridical precedent, the legal validity of bilateral treaties or agreements applies only to their signatories.To protect Taiwan’s sovereignty and sovereign rights in its surrounding waters, MOFA has instructed relevant overseas missions to pay close attention to matters pertaining to the negotiations and any associated developments. It has also conveyed Taiwan’s concerns through relevant channels. It is understood that at present, Japan and the Philippines have not set out a concrete timeline for negotiations.In commentary regarding MOFA’s actions, several media and political figures have cited media reports alleging that Japan turned down a proposal by Taiwan to take part in negotiations on the demarcation of boundaries. MOFA solemnly clarifies that Taiwan has not approached Japan or the Philippines with a request to join their bilateral negotiations on the demarcation of boundaries. The headlines and content of the relevant reports are clearly inconsistent with the facts.MOFA urges all parties to look at associated issues with a rational eye and refrain from causing misunderstandings because of one-sided information.In recent years, China has continued to employ multiple tactics—including legal, propaganda, and maritime law enforcement operations—in a bid to expand its maritime claims and undermine regional stability. The government of Taiwan firmly opposes this and will staunchly defend Taiwan’s national sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.MOFA will pay close attention to the situation and to associated developments. In coordination with relevant ministries and agencies, it will maintain close communication with Japan and the Philippines through existing bilateral mechanisms and dialogue channels, taking concrete actions to preserve Taiwan’s maritime rights and interests and the security and operational rights and interests of Taiwan’s fishers.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA response to US President Trump’s comments to media regarding Taiwan

Date：2026-05-15
Data Source：Department of North American Affairs

May 15, 2026  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has noted US President Donald Trump’s media interview and comments aboard Air Force One regarding Taiwan. 
 
It is readily apparent that since the Trump administration assumed office, President Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and other high-level officials have reiterated on numerous occasions that the long-standing and consistent policy of the United States regarding Taiwan remains unchanged. They have also emphasized the importance that the United States attaches to regional peace and stability and to maintaining the status quo. To date, the Trump administration has approved two arms sales to Taiwan and continues to work with Taiwan and regional partners to jointly safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. 
 
The Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign and independent democratic country. It is widely acknowledged that military threats from China are the only source of regional instability. China has engaged in relentless and substantial military expansionism and attempted to project power globally. People’s Liberation Army aircraft and vessels frequently conduct exercises around the Taiwan Strait—including a variety of gray-zone and military harassment tactics. The key to preserving regional peace and stability is an effective, joint deterrence against Beijing, which is currently the greatest danger to regional peace and stability. Therefore, Taiwan’s primary and overriding mission is to strive to uphold the status quo and demonstrate its resolve for self-defense, protecting the freedom and democracy of its 23 million people and ensuring that cross-strait security and stability are not threatened or undermined. 
 
US arms sales to Taiwan are not only an explicitly stated US security commitment under the Taiwan Relations Act, but they are also a joint deterrent against regional threats. Taiwan thanks President Trump for supporting security across the Taiwan Strait since his first term. The value of the most recently announced arms sale package was the highest ever. Close Taiwan-US cooperation has always been the cornerstone of cross-strait peace. 
 
Taiwan is the most important nexus of defense in the first island chain and a key driver of global economic prosperity. Taiwan will continue to staunchly defend the regional status quo and bolster cooperation with the United States and other democratic partners worldwide to establish effective deterrent capabilities and collectively address the risks that authoritarian regimes pose to geopolitical security, the international order, and global stability.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA response to media inquiries regarding comments on Taiwan attributed to Chinese leader Xi

Date：2026-05-14
Data Source：Department of North American Affairs

May 14, 2026  According to Chinese state media reports on the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Xi Jinping said that the Taiwan question was the most important issue in China-US relations, and that if not handled properly, there would be clashes and even conflicts between the two countries, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy. He further stated that safeguarding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait was the biggest common denominator between China and the United States.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs solemnly states that neither the Republic of China (Taiwan) nor the People’s Republic of China are subordinate to the other. China has no right to make any pronouncements on behalf of Taiwan on the international stage.

China has consistently engaged in various forms of gray-zone harassment and military threats in the East and South China Seas, the Taiwan Strait, and areas around Taiwan. Even as the leaders of the United States and China were meeting, the People’s Liberation Army continued to dispatch military aircraft and vessels in areas around the Taiwan Strait. China currently poses the only risk to regional peace and stability.

As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan will continue to closely cooperate with the United States and other like-minded countries to jointly maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and uphold freedom, openness, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA solemnly refutes false claims by China regarding Taiwan following meeting between Chinese and Nepali foreign ministers

Date：2026-06-16
Data Source：Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs

June 16, 2026  No. 269  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) solemnly refutes the false claims made by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press release on June 15 following a meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Nepali Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal. 

MOFA also condemns Minister Wang for disregarding objective international facts and disseminating baseless narratives regarding the so-called “one China principle” when interacting with Minister Khanal.

MOFA reiterates that the ROC (Taiwan) is a sovereign and independent nation and that neither it nor the People’s Republic of China is subordinate to the other. No attempts to denigrate Taiwan’s sovereign status through erroneous rhetoric can change this indisputable reality.

MOFA advises Nepal’s new government to seriously consider the long-term threat posed by China to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, as this has grave implications for the security and prosperity of Nepal and the rest of the world. 

MOFA also urges Nepal to quickly open its eyes to China’s expansionism in many regions and nations globally. Beijing has led a number of nations into debt traps through inappropriate tactics antithetical to good governance and democratic principles. At the same time, it has been persecuting ethnic minorities and suppressing religious freedom within its borders. Therefore, adhering to the so-called “one China principle,” which China has been using to undermine cross-strait peace and stability, will only be detrimental to Nepal.

MOFA reiterates that Taiwan is willing to continue cooperating with all nations that support freedom, democracy, and human rights so as to jointly safeguard peace and security across the Taiwan Strait and maintain freedom and stability throughout the Indo-Pacific region. (E)

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA strongly protests Nauruan government directive that distorts Taiwan’s sovereignty

Date：2026-05-21
Data Source：Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs

May 21, 2026  
No. 224  
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) strongly protests the May 15 decision by the government of the Republic of Nauru to order all personnel representing the government and state-owned enterprises to observe the “one China principle.” MOFA expresses great displeasure at this policy, which is not in keeping with the facts. 
 
MOFA solemnly states that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign nation of 23 million people. Neither it nor the People’s Republic of China is subordinate to the other. The PRC has never governed Taiwan, and Taiwan is not a part of the PRC.
 
As is widely known, UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 addresses only the issue of China’s representation. The resolution does not mention Taiwan, nor does it recognize Taiwan as part of the PRC. These are established facts and the objective situation on which there is international consensus. The Nauruan government’s attempt to distort Taiwan’s sovereign status is therefore fundamentally flawed.
 
MOFA emphasizes that Taiwan has long held to the principles of mutual respect, transparent cooperation, and shared democratic values in pursuing stronger partnerships with Pacific nations. In the future, Taiwan will continue to further deepen cooperation and jointly address such challenges as climate change, disaster resilience, sustainable development, and maritime security to ensure a free, open, peaceful, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. (E)

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA thanks prominent members of US Congress for publicly expressing support of Taiwan

Date：2026-05-16
Data Source：Department of North American Affairs

May 16, 2026  
No. 212  

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) is sincerely grateful to members of the US Congress from both sides of the aisle who have continued to demonstrate strong support for Taiwan’s security and attach importance to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. In recent days, numerous lawmakers have reaffirmed the Taiwan Relations Act, the Six Assurances, and other long-standing and consistent US policies toward Taiwan. They have also publicly supported further arms sales to strengthen Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities.
 
US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) publicly reiterated support for Taiwan on May 15, underlining that Congress had always been highly concerned about cross-strait issues and explicitly stating that the US position was that Taiwan needs to be independent and secure. Other leading members of the US Senate and House of Representatives from both parties have stressed that the United States should fulfill its long-term commitments, promote arms sales, and continue to provide assistance to Taiwan in acquiring the necessary defensive capacities to strengthen deterrence. Among them were Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Senator John Curtis (R-UT), who jointly led a delegation to Taiwan this year, as well as other prominent Democratic senators on the committee. Ranking Member Gregory Meeks (D-NY) and Chairman Emeritus Michael McCaul (R-TX) of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) and Ranking Member Ro Khanna (D-CA) of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, and Chairman Zach Nunn (R-IA) of the House of Representatives National Security Task Force of the Republican Study Committee also expressed support for Taiwan.
 
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung thanks Taiwan’s friends on both sides of the congressional aisle for continuing to focus attention on China’s intensifying military pressure and gray-zone coercion of Taiwan in recent years. Minister Lin appreciates their numerous reaffirmations of support for Taiwan’s efforts to bolster self-defense and deterrence capabilities. The active backing of both chambers of the US Congress at this critical juncture once again demonstrates the high degree of bipartisan consensus on Capitol Hill for supporting and prioritizing Taiwan. It also fully reflects that maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait serves global interests.
 
MOFA emphasizes that Taiwan, as a responsible member of the international community, will continue to contribute to regional peace and stability under the leadership of President Lai Ching-te. Taiwan remains committed to maintaining the cross-strait status quo, demonstrating its determination to defend itself, and further deepening security cooperation with the United States and other allies and friends in the global democratic community. Taiwan and its partners will jointly address threats to geopolitical security and challenges to international order and stability posed by authoritarian regimes, and uphold peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the Indo-Pacific region. (E)

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

Foreign Minister Lin thanks US Congress members for raising concern with WTO director-general over Taiwan’s effective exclusion from WTO MC14

Date：2026-05-16
Data Source：Public Diplomacy Coordination Council

May 16, 2026  
No. 211  

The 14th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) was held in March this year. The host country, Cameroon, downgraded Taiwan’s designation for the event, compelling Taiwan to be absent. In response, 26 members of the US House of Representatives from across the political aisle sent a joint letter on May 14 to WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, expressing serious concern and urging the WTO Secretariat to ensure that similar incidents undermining the rights of members would not occur again. Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung expresses his sincere appreciation for the joint letter.
 
Led by House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member Linda Sánchez (D-CA), House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Chair Adrian Smith (R-NE), and House and Ways Committee Vice Ranking Member Judy Chu (D-CA), the 26 members of Congress emphasized in their letter that since Taiwan’s accession to the WTO in 2002 as a separate customs territory, its status had been respected and it had enjoyed full and equal participation at Ministerial Conferences alongside other members. 
 
The joint letter also noted that Cameroon had issued visas for the Taiwan delegates using the nomenclature “Taiwan, Province of China,” implying that Taiwan was not a WTO member in its own right. It added that this designation was an improper infringement of Taiwan’s right as a full WTO member.
 
The lawmakers requested that the WTO director-general respond by June 3 to questions on how the WTO Secretariat would ensure that this incident did not set a precedent for future Ministerial Conferences and whether the WTO Secretariat was putting in place written guidelines to provide assurances that similar incidents undermining the rights of members would not occur at future Ministerial Conferences.
 
Minister Lin thanks the members of Congress once again for their firm support and asserts that Taiwan will continue to work closely with like-minded WTO members to staunchly safeguard its rights and dignity.(E)

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA response to US President Trump’s comments to the media following the Trump-Xi summit

Date：2026-05-16
Data Source：Public Diplomacy Coordination Council

May 16, 2026  
 
We note that the United States has repeatedly stressed that its long-standing policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged. This position has been reaffirmed by President Donald Trump.
 
Our position is clear: Taiwan will continue to contribute to regional peace and stability. We are determined to maintain the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. This has consistently been the stance of President Lai Ching-te and the firm commitment of the 23 million people of Taiwan. It is self-evident that the ROC (Taiwan) is a sovereign democratic country. Beijing has no right to claim jurisdiction over Taiwan. The government of Taiwan will continue to deepen cooperation with the United States, maintain peace through strength, and ensure that the security and stability of the Taiwan Strait are not threatened or undermined. This serves the shared interests of Taiwan, the United States, and democracies around the world.
 
China’s military threat remains the primary source of regional instability, driving countries in the first island chain to strengthen their defense capabilities in coordination with the United States. US arms sales to Taiwan are both part of US security commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act and a key element of collective deterrence against regional threats. We are grateful for President Trump’s continued support for cross-strait security since his first term, including announcements of weapons sales that have reached record highs. Taiwan-US cooperation has always been demonstrated through concrete actions and we look forward to the United States continuing to fulfill its commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act. Taiwan will further work with the United States and other democratic partners worldwide to address the risks that authoritarian regimes pose to geopolitical security and global order and stability.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA response to European Parliament recommendation supporting Taiwan’s meaningful international participation

May 21, 2026  Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung warmly welcomes a recommendation adopted by the European Parliament on May 20 that reiterates support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations, expresses concern over the situation in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, and opposes any unilateral change to the status quo by coercion or force. The text is a recommendation on the European Union’s position on the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) for the European Council, European Commission, and vice president of the European Commission and high representative of the EU for foreign affairs and security policy. It is a further concrete demonstration of support by the European Parliament for Taiwan’s international engagement and for the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.The recommendation highlights the European Parliament’s 2024 resolution on the misinterpretation of UNGA Resolution 2758 by the People’s Republic of China and its continuous military provocations around Taiwan. It underlines that UNGA Resolution 2758 neither determines the sovereignty of Taiwan nor mentions Taiwan, and cannot be used to exclude Taiwan from the international system. It urges the EU to step up support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations for the benefit of the international community. The adopted text recommends that the EU engage in diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea and oppose any unilateral change to the status quo by coercion or force. It encourages the EU to work more closely with like-minded partners to reinforce stability and security in the region around the Taiwan Strait and strengthen deterrence against coercive or military actions. It also urges further endeavors to defend the principle of the prohibition of the use of force codified in the UN Charter. Moreover, the recommendation calls for the UN to grant access to its events to activists, civil society representatives, and journalists holding Taiwan passports. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs thanks the European Parliament for continuing to advocate for Taiwan’s international participation. Taiwan will further strengthen coordination with the EU and other like-minded partners to jointly uphold the rules-based international order and defend the values of democracy, freedom, and human rights. It will continue to actively contribute to the international community and strive for peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and around the world.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA strongly refutes false claims regarding Taiwan in joint statement by China and Pakistan

Date：2026-05-26
Data Source：Department of West Asian and African Affairs

May 26, 2026  No.235  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) refutes and condemns in the strongest possible terms the false claims made in a joint statement between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The statement, issued on May 26, aims to downgrade Taiwan’s sovereignty. MOFA solemnly denounces China for once again exploiting interactions with other countries to disseminate baseless rhetoric regarding the so-called “one China principle” and United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 in an effort to distort the facts and mislead the international community.

The Republic of China (Taiwan) is an independent and sovereign country, and neither it nor the PRC is subordinate to the other. These are undeniable objective facts and the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. No attempts to denigrate Taiwan’s sovereign status through erroneous narratives or joint statements can change this indisputable reality. 

MOFA once again calls on the world to seriously acknowledge China’s long-standing practice of utilizing various forms of coercion and incentives to undermine the sovereign decisions of other nations. These actions not only seek to suppress Taiwan, but they also pose major challenges to the global democratic system and the rules-based international order.

Taiwan will continue to deepen cooperation with all like-minded countries to staunchly defend democracy. Regardless of any economic coercion or diplomatic bullying that Taiwan might face, it will steadfastly maintain its established position, actively engage with the world, and bolster national resilience. (E)