TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has added the flags of 12 countries seen as sharing similar values to the flags of 12 diplomatic allies in its lobby, Deputy Foreign Minister Francois Wu (吳志中) said Tuesday.

A picture on his Facebook page showed a doorway inside the building’s first floor flanked by Taiwan flags, with the flags of the 12 official allies to the left. On the right side, the picture showed the flags of the US, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, and India.

Taiwan’s foreign affairs are not just restricted to official diplomatic relations, Wu wrote. The country achieved economic prosperity and modernization because it conducted exchanges with the whole world, he added.

The new flags were partly a response to last month’s declaration by the G7 foreign ministers in support of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, per UDN. The statement also emphasized Taiwan’s right to participate in international organizations, while omitting any references to Beijing’s “one China” policy.