Taiwan welcomes Japanese FM's remarks on Taiwan Strait peace

Taipei, Feb. 20 (CNA) Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Friday welcomed Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi's remarks emphasizing the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

The remarks were made Thursday at Motegi's first press conference since being reappointed foreign minister on Wednesday, after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi kept her Cabinet unchanged following the recent general election.

Motegi criticized what he described as China's "attempt to change the status quo with force," adding that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are of great importance.

In a press statement, MOFA said Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) welcomed and affirmed Motegi's remarks.

The ministry noted that since taking office in October, Takaichi's Cabinet has repeatedly called on the international community to take cross-strait issues seriously at major forums, including the 28th ASEAN-Japan Summit, the 20th East Asia Summit and the Japan-U.S. summit.

Japan has also directly conveyed its concerns over regional security to China, adding that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are closely linked to the prosperity and security of Japan and the world, MOFA said.

MOFA called on democratic countries to continue working together to counter the spread of authoritarianism, urging them to pay close attention to developments in the Taiwan Strait and take concrete actions to safeguard regional security.

The ministry said Taiwan will continue strengthening its self-defense capabilities and whole-of-society resilience, while working closely with like-minded partners to ensure peace, stability and prosperity in the Taiwan Strait and the broader Indo-Pacific region.