China's actions followed on from its fury over United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visiting Taiwan on her tour of Asia...

06/08/2022

(See translation in Arabic section)

Sydney – M E TIMES Int’l:Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong has joined with her counterparts from the United States and Japan in a vow to deepen the partnership between the three countries.

The commitment was made after Ms Wong met with United States Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Cambodia.

The trio said a strengthened trilateral partnership would help ensure an open and free Indo-Pacific region, amid rising tensions with China over Taiwan.

"The Secretary and the Foreign Ministers expressed their commitment to deepening the trilateral partnership among Australia, Japan, and the United States to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific region," a joint statement said.

"They highlighted this partnership rests on the unshakable foundation of shared interests and values.

"Including a commitment to freedom, rule of law, human rights, sovereignty and territorial integrity, peaceful settlement of disputes without resorting to threat or use of force, and freedom of navigation and overflight."

The statement came amid anger over China's decision to escalate military action by firing high-powered missiles towards Taiwan and Japan's exclusive economic zone.

China's actions followed on from its fury over United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visiting Taiwan on her tour of Asia, which also included a trip to Japan. 

Australia, the United States and Japan have called on Beijing to immediately cease the military exercises, saying it is destabilising the region.  

"The Secretary and the Foreign Ministers expressed their concern about the People's Republic of China's (PRC) recent actions that gravely affect international peace and stability, including the use of large-scale military exercises," the statement said.

"They condemned the PRC's launch of ballistic missiles, five of which the Japanese government reported landed in its exclusive economic zones, raising tension and destabilising the region.

"The Secretary and the Foreign Ministers urged the PRC to immediately cease the military exercises."

The trio also said they "reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait". 

"They appreciated ASEAN's statement about the importance of deescalating tension in the Taiwan Strait," the statement said.

"The three sides share the region's desire for diplomacy to avoid the risks of miscalculation."

The statement added there was "no change in the respective one China policies, where applicable, and basic positions on Taiwan of Australia, Japan, or the United States".