President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) met with a delegation of bipartisan Australian lawmakers led by the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence, and Trade Chair, Shayne Neumann, and the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security Deputy Chair, Andrew Wallace, at the Presidential Office on Monday.
In her welcome remarks, President Tsai highlighted the significance of three consecutive years of Australian parliamentary delegations visiting Taiwan, underscoring the depth of friendship shared between the two nations. She reiterated that both Taiwan and Australia firmly uphold the values of freedom and democracy, stressing the critical importance for democratic countries to unite against the expansion of authoritarianism and bolster cooperative efforts.
Tsai also noted the increasingly close bilateral cooperation and exchanges fostered through bipartisan efforts in the Australian parliament. She expressed hope that members of the delegation would advocate for Taiwan and support its participation in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) which aims to advance regional development and prosperity.
Neumann emphasized the escalating military pressures in the Indo-Pacific region. He conveyed Australia's commitment to collaborating with allies to maintain regional stability and opposed any unilateral actions seeking to alter the status quo in Taiwan. He reiterated Australia's solidarity with Taiwan and said this visit serves to deepen understanding of the situation and devise responses to pertinent challenges.