TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — U.S. President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stressed peace in the Taiwan Strait in a joint statement issued on Wednesday (April 26).

The presidents reiterated that regional peace and stability is “an indispensable element of security and prosperity in the region” and opposed any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the Indo-Pacific, “including through unlawful maritime claims, the militarization of reclaimed features, and coercive activities.”

Biden and Yoon also doubled down on their commitment to maintaining freedom of navigation and open trade in the South China Sea and beyond, in accordance to the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.

“Together, we will increase our comprehensive global cooperation, deepen our robust regional engagement, and broaden our ironclad bilateral ties during the next 70 years of our Alliance to face the 21st century’s most difficult challenges head-on,” the statement said.

The two presidents also highlighted the significance of U.S.-ROK-Japan trilateral cooperation, based on common values, innovation, and the shared goal of prosperity and security.

Yoon arrived in the U.S. on Wednesday for a state visit to mark the 70th anniversary of the U.S.-South Korea partnership.

The South Korean president recently said in a Reuters interview that "the Taiwan issue is not simply an issue between China and Taiwan but, like the issue of North Korea, it is a global issue." Tensions across the Taiwan Strait “occurred because of the attempts to change the status quo by force, and we together with the international community absolutely oppose such a change,” he said.