Washington: The US, Australia, and Japan urged China to immediately stop their military exercises. The three countries also reiterated their commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Australian Secretary of State Penny Wong, and Japan’s Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa issued a joint statement after meeting on the sidelines of a meeting of foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states in Phnom Penh.
“The Foreign Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. They appreciated ASEAN’s statement on the importance of reducing tensions in the Taiwan Straits. The Foreign Ministers expressed concern over the recent actions of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), including conducting large-scale military exercises, which seriously affect international peace and stability, emphasizing the need for diplomacy.
“They condemned the launch of ballistic missiles by the PRC,” the joint statement said. The Japanese government has said that five of these missiles fell in its exclusive economic zone. These launches have increased tensions and created instability in the region. Foreign ministers urged the PRC to immediately stop military exercises. The foreign ministers clarified that there has been no change in the basic stance of Australia, Japan, or the US with regard to where the ‘one China policy’ is in place and with regard to Taiwan.
Australia, Japan, and the US expressed their commitment to deepen the trilateral partnership to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region. China launched military exercises earlier this week after US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, saying her visit violated the “one China policy”. Significantly, China claims its claim on Taiwan and has threatened that if necessary, it will take the island by force.
