Australian-Taiwan partnership good for regional peace: Visiting lawmakers

Taipei, April 8 (CNA) A visiting Australian parliamentary delegation said in Taipei Monday that building stronger ties with Taiwan, including on security cooperation, is beneficial to peace, security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.

"We face a military buildup in this region," Shayne Neumann, a member of the Australian ruling Labor Party, told President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) during their meeting at the Presidential Office.

The chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and Trade in Australia's House of Representatives said his country is working with friends and allies "to preserve the regional balance here and preserve the status quo for Taiwan"

"We're against any unilateral actions; maintaining the status quo is comprehensively superior to the alternative," he told Tsai.

"We know that maintaining the status quo will be challenging but we wish to reassure you that you are amongst friends," he added.

The Australian lawmaker also said that both Taiwan and Australia are leading Indo-Pacific democracies with the shared objective of an open and stable region.

"Australia and Taiwan are stronger together. We are honored to be here; Australia is proud to be Taiwan's partner and friend," he said.

Another member of the delegation, Andrew Wallace of the Liberal Party of Australia, told Tsai that "in an ever changing geopolitical landscape, security cooperation is paramount."

Taiwan and Australia both recognize the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, according to Wallace, the deputy chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.

"Our strategic partnership contributes significantly to regional security and our shared interests in a rules-based, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. We stand united against any threat to regional stability," he said.

He also noted that Taiwan and Australia already collaborate in cyber security and both sides maintained close cooperation in terms of economics and trade, given the fact Taiwan is Australia's seventh largest trading partner

"The Taiwan-Australia relationship transcends diplomatic channels, it embodies shared values resilience and a commitment to a prosperous and secure future," he said, referring to the fact that the two countries do not have official diplomatic ties.

Meanwhile, both visiting lawmakers expressed Canberra's condolences to the people and government of Taiwan following a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan last Wednesday and has left at least 13 people dead and more than 1,000 injured.

"I want to start by expressing condolences for the tragic loss of lives injured and damage caused by the earthquake on the third of April on behalf of the Australia people and Australian parliament," said Neumann.

Wallace said Australians were "genuinely distressed" at the news of the earthquake last week.

"We are sending our thoughts and prayers and best wishes from Australian people that we bring collectively to your government and your people," Wallace told Tsai.

Tsai thanked Australia for reaffirming the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait at bilateral and multilateral forums in recent years.

She also called on friends in Australia to support negotiations regarding the signing of an economic cooperation agreement between Australia and Taiwan and back Taipei's bid to join the regional trade bloc, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, of which Australia is a member.

Neumann and Wallace are leading a cross-party parliamentary delegation to Taiwan that arrived in the country early Monday.

Other members of their delegation include, Julian Hill, chair of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit; Angie Bell, shadow minister for early childhood education and shadow minister for youth; and Senator Dave Sharma, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).

Before departing Taiwan on Friday, the Australian parliamentarians are also scheduled to meet with Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) and pay a trip to several government departments, MOFA added.