TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan will continue serving as a key player on the international stage, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said on Friday.

Speaking to a delegation of analysts from the Japanese think tank Sasakawa Peace Foundation and US-based Institute for Indo-Pacific Security, Lin said Taiwan plays a crucial international role in safeguarding peace and democracy, per the foreign ministry. Taiwan is also committed to promoting stability and shared development in the region, he said.

Lin said China is escalating its diplomatic, economic, and military pressure on Taiwan. He cited the recent case of Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋), who was placed under investigation by Chinese public security authorities for alleged “separatist activities” activities, as an example of Beijing’s cross-border intimidation tactics. Taiwan will keep working with democratic partners to defend freedom, he said.

Under the framework of comprehensive diplomacy, the foreign ministry continues cooperating with like-minded partners to maintain regional security and the stability of global supply chains, Lin said. Collaboration with the US and Japan has grown increasingly close in recent years across political, economic, technological, and cultural fields, he said. He added that these partnerships are vital to maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the wider region.

The visiting delegation included Sasakawa Peace Foundation Executive Director Nobukatsu Kanehara and Institute for Indo-Pacific Security Chairman Randall Schriver.