TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Australian lawmakers arrived in Taiwan on Monday (Sept. 25) to discuss security and trade issues with high-level government officials.
The eight-member delegation includes Josh Wilson and Paul Fletcher. Over the course of four days, they will meet with Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) and other officials where they will share views on the geopolitical situation in the Indo-Pacific, economic and trade cooperation, and digital and information security.
In recent years, the bilateral relationship between the two countries has continued to grow steadily, per a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) statement. Bilateral trade has tripled since 2020, making Taiwan Australia's fifth-largest trading partner and fourth-largest export market.
Both countries have deepened cooperation in areas such as healthcare, clean energy, public health, biotechnology, Indigenous peoples' issues, arts and culture, bilingual education, and vocational education, the ministry said.
In recent years, the Australian government has consistently underscored the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and opposed unilateral changes to the status quo, MOFA said. This visit by Australian parliamentarians demonstrates their support for Taiwan and commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, it added.
The delegation’s arrival comes as Taiwan is garnering support from its partners, including Australia, to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
In an ABC News interview last month, Taiwan representative to Australia Douglas Hsu (徐佑典) said that Taiwan has been in contact with current CPTPP member states to update them on its efforts to meet the standards of the trade pact.
“We want all the CPTPP members to consider next applications based on the ability of an applicant to fulfill the commitments under the CPTPP, instead of any political consideration,” Hsu said. “After all, the CPTPP is an economic and trade mechanism, not a political mechanism.”
