Presidential Office responds to joint statements following summits of US, Japan, and Philippines
After a summit meeting between President Joe Biden of the United States and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan on April 10, the two heads of state issued a joint statement reiterating the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and a fact sheet mentioning Taiwan's contribution to development of Pacific island nations. On April 11 (US Eastern time), President Biden, Prime Minister Kishida, and President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. of the Philippines met in a trilateral summit, after which they issued a Joint Vision Statement affirming "the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of global security and prosperity." Presidential Office Spokesperson Olivia Lin (林聿禪), on April 12, stated that Taiwan is pleased to see that the US, Japan, and the Philippines have taken a firm stance on maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and that we thank the US and Japan for recognizing Taiwan's contribution to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Spokesperson Lin stated that the expansion of authoritarianism has posed serious challenges to regional security and the international order. She said that the joint statements issued following the US-Japan summit and the US-Japan-Philippines summit underscore the fact that there is a strong international consensus on the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The spokesperson emphasized that Taiwan, as a responsible member of the international community, is capable and willing to work together with the international community, and will continue strengthening its self-defense capabilities to work alongside like-minded countries to uphold a rules-based international order. She added that we will also cooperate to ensure peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and a free and open Indo-Pacific region, contributing to global peace, stability, and prosperity. Taiwan, she said, will continue to act as a force for good in the world.