US, Japan, South Korea emphasize importance of peace in Taiwan Strait

Taipei, Sept. 23 (CNA) The United States, Japan and South Korea on Monday (U.S. time) emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and voiced concern over "increasingly frequent destabilizing actions" around Taiwan, according to a joint statement issued by the U.S. State Department.

The three governments encouraged the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues and opposed "any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo," the statement said, alluding to China's threat of annexing Taiwan by force.

They also said they support Taiwan's meaningful participation in appropriate international organizations, the statement said.

The joint statement came after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japan's Foreign Minister of Foreign Affairs Takeshi Iwaya, and South Korea's Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun met in New York during the United Nations General Assembly to discuss security and economic issues in the Indo-Pacific.

In the joint statement, the United States reaffirmed what it called its "ironclad commitments to the defense of Japan and the ROK," pledging extended deterrence supported by "America's unmatched military strength, including its nuclear capabilities."

In remarks implicitly aimed at China, the three countries also rejected "unlawful maritime claims in the South China Sea, as well as attempts to enforce such claims," and opposed "any attempts to change the status quo including dangerous and destabilizing actions in the waters of the Indo-Pacific, including the South China Sea," the statement said.

They underscored their commitment to a "free and open Indo-Pacific" and to international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), including "freedoms of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the sea."

The joint statement also noted cooperation in other areas, including potential trilateral coast guard exchanges, strengthened coordination on Arctic issues, and encouraging Russia and Ukraine toward "a durable negotiated settlement."

It reaffirmed the three governments' commitment to North Korea's complete denuclearization under UN Security Council resolutions and urged an immediate end to Pyongyang's "increasing military cooperation with Russia."

The statement further highlighted efforts to bolster energy security -- citing U.S. liquefied natural gas and other resources -- while pledging to diversify critical supply chains and to accelerate joint development of advanced civil nuclear reactors.

Later on Tuesday, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokesperson Hsiao Kuangwei (蕭光偉) told reporters that this meeting was the third time this year the United States, Japan and South Korea had "reaffirmed their support for maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."

On behalf of MOFA, Hsiao welcomed the international community's "continued attention" to cross-strait issues."

"Taiwan will continue to enhance its national defense capabilities, strengthen its economic resilience, and work with like-minded partners such as the United States, Japan, and South Korea to ensure peace, stability, and prosperity in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region," he said.