Australian MPs seek closer cooperation with Taiwan on cybersecurity

Taipei, April 10 (CNA) Visiting Australian parliamentarians on Wednesday said Australia should cooperate more closely with Taiwan to beef up cybersecurity and further enhance bilateral trade and economic relations.

Speaking during a media roundtable in Taipei, Julian Hill, a member of Australia's ruling Labor Party, said he and his fellow MPs have learned that Taiwan is one of the most frequently cyber attacked places in the world.

"So there's a lot that Australia can learn from Taiwan," Hill, chair of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit told Taiwanese reporters.

"We are equally facing very significant amounts of cyberattacks. But this is where it's very important for like-minded countries and people to learn from each other," he added.

Australian industrial base is also being hit hard by cyber espionage, according to Hill.

"It's hitting companies, it's hitting intellectual property," he said, adding that there are areas where Australia and Taiwan need to cooperate.

According to Shayne Neumann, who is also from the Australian Labor Party, Australia primarily faces cyberattacks from China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.

Andrew Wallace of the Liberal National Party of Queensland also said there are existing exchanges between police forces in Taipei and Canberra around cybersecurity.

"Cybersecurity is not necessarily just a national security issue, but also involves child sexual labor slavery...Those connections between our various police forces, the Australian Federal Police and police in Taiwan are very important," Wallace added.

On the prospect of Taiwan and Australia signing a free trade deal, Neumann -- who chairs the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade -- told reporters that Australia is now pushing to sign a trade deal with the European Union first, but said he understands Taiwan's desire to reach a trade deal with Australia.

Given the fact Taiwan is Australia's seventh largest trading partner, and Australia is a main source of coal and natural gas imports for Taiwan, Taiwan is important for Australia and both sides have been deepening trade arrangements for a long time, he said.

Meanwhile, Senator Dave Sharma of the Liberal Party of Australia said his party is interested in exploring a closer economic relationship with Taiwan, given the size of Taiwan as a market and the fact that both Australia and Taiwan are Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation members.

As to Australia's take on Taiwan losing Pacific ally Nauru earlier this year, Sharma said although it is Nauru's decision to make based on its sovereign interests, for Australia, "we do have an interest in ensuring that Taiwan retains some diplomatic space."

It is important that there are still channels and avenues for dialogue with Taiwan from around the world, he said, adding that is why Australia supports Taiwan's presence in international organizations.

The Australian parliamentarians are in Taiwan on a visit that will conclude on Friday. They have met with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮).