G7 foreign ministers highlight Taiwan support, peace, stability

Washington, March 14 (CNA) The G7 foreign ministers on Friday cited support for Taiwan and reiterated the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

In a joint statement issued after the conclusion of the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Charlevoix, Canada on Thursday, the G7 members reaffirmed "the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait."

"We [G7] encouraged the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues and reiterated our opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion," the bloc said, while also expressing "support for Taiwan's meaningful participation in appropriate international organizations."

In its joint statement, the G7 further touches on several other issues, including regional peace and stability in the Middle East, Ukraine's long-term prosperity and security, as well as building stability and resilience in Haiti and Venezuela.

According to a Reuters report, compared with past statements, the G7 communique this time did not cite any conciliatory references and reassurances such as the "one China" policy when it mentioned Taiwan.

In Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) thanked the G7 foreign ministers for their joint statement in support of the country and continually attaching importance to the stability of the Taiwan Strait.

As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan will continue to strengthen cooperation with G7 members and allied partners to jointly uphold the openness of the Indo-Pacific region, defend the rules-based international order, and safeguard universal values such as democracy and freedom, the ministry said.

Since the G7 Leaders' Summit in Cornwall in 2021, G7 members have repeatedly emphasized their concern for and support of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait in various joint communiqués or post-meeting statements for five consecutive years, it added.