The United States, Australia and Japan on Saturday condemned China’s ballistic missile launch and called on China to immediately halt military exercises.
Tensions in the Taiwan Straits soon escalated with US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan. China has increased its military activities and even crossed the middle line. Several Chinese planes and ships were spotted around the Taiwan Straits today, simulating an attack on its main island.
Taiwan’s defense ministry said its armed forces responded to such a situation with surveillance systems, CAP aircraft, naval vessels and missile systems.
On Friday, Taiwan’s defense ministry said 68 Chinese military aircraft and 13 warships crossed the median line to participate in exercises.
“US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa met in Phnom Penh on the sidelines of the 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting,” the US State Department said in a statement.
The Secretary and Foreign Ministers of the three nations expressed their commitment to deepen the trilateral partnership between Australia, Japan and the United States to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
“They condemned the DPRK’s launch of ballistic missiles, five of which the Japanese government said landed in its exclusive economic zones, raising tension and destabilizing the region. The secretary and foreign ministers urged the DPRK to immediately cease military exercises,” the State Department said.
The US Secretary and Foreign Ministers also emphasized that this partnership is based on the unshakable foundation of shared interests and values, including commitment to freedom, rule of law, human rights, sovereignty and territorial integrity, peaceful resolution of disputes.
They reaffirmed their determination to uphold the centrality of ASEAN and the importance of Pacific Island countries as partners in the region.
They reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. They appreciated ASEAN’s statement on the importance of de-escalation in the Taiwan Strait.
The three sides share the region’s desire for diplomacy to avoid the risks of miscalculation. The US Secretary of State and Foreign Ministers have expressed concern over recent actions by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) that seriously affect international peace and stability, including the use of large-scale military exercises.
They also stressed that there is no change in China’s respective policies, where applicable, and in the basic positions of Australia, Japan or the United States on Taiwan.
