U.S., Japan, S. Korea highlight Taiwan Strait peace at Munich meeting

Taipei, Feb. 16 (CNA) The top diplomats from the United States, Japan and South Korea on Saturday reaffirmed their support for peace in the Taiwan Strait, following a trilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul were meeting for the first time since U.S. President Donald's return to the White House.

In a joint statement, the three countries' representatives reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait "as an indispensable element of security and prosperity for the international community."

The statement added that the U.S., South Korea and Japan encouraged the peaceful resolution of cross-Taiwan Strait issues and opposed any attempts to unilaterally force or coerce changes to the status quo.

The statement expressed the three countries' support for Taiwan's meaningful participation in appropriate international organizations, and the "unshakable" trilateral partnership's "shared commitment to the safety, security, and prosperity of their three countries and the broader Indo-Pacific region."

"The secretary and foreign ministers underscored the necessity of enhancing the strength of the alliances to ensure peace and prosperity, including through robust security cooperation among the three countries," the statement added, specifically noting continued trilateral military exercises.

In response, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) issued a news statement Sunday in which Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) thanked the top diplomats of the three countries for jointly reiterating their staunch position on maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and oppose attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion.

MOFA said that the trilateral partnership's latest statement again demonstrated the high degree of international consensus regarding the importance of cross-strait peace and stability.

"As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan will further strengthen its national defense capabilities and work together with the U.S., Japan and South Korea, to ensure peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the Indo-Pacific region," it added.