FRANCE-POLITICS-DIPLOMACY-G7
Following their meeting in Paris, the G7 foreign ministers issued a joint statement expressing concern about the impact of China's activities in the waters east of Taiwan on regional stability and freedom of navigation. The Taiwan Presidential Office stated that it will continue to strengthen its self-defense capabilities and deepen cooperation with international partners.

Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) issued a joint statement on Nov. 12 saying China’s increasingly assertive activity in waters east of Taiwan poses a threat to regional stability, freedom of navigation and international shipping safety. They also reiterated their opposition to any unilateral attempt to change the status quo through force, coercion or threats. Taiwan’s Presidential Office welcomed the statement and stressed that Taiwan would continue to strengthen its self-defense capabilities and whole-of-society resilience.

The statement was issued after G7 foreign ministers met in Paris, France, from Nov. 9 to 10. It specifically referred to China’s activities in waters east of Taiwan and expressed concern that such actions could affect regional security and international shipping.

According to a Reuters report, the United States, Britain, France and Germany have repeatedly voiced concern over China’s actions around Taiwan. However, the latest G7 statement was seen as one of the clearest collective positions the members have taken to date on China’s activities.

Taiwan said China has increased Coast Guard patrols in waters east of Taiwan since June. Taiwan officials believe China may be using coordinated operations involving military, paramilitary and civilian vessels to practice capabilities needed for a maritime blockade.

China’s Foreign Ministry rejected the G7 statement, saying it ignored objective facts and interfered in China’s internal affairs. It also accused the G7 of clinging to a Cold War mentality and bloc politics.

Presidential Office spokesperson Guo Ya-hui said peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific are vital to global security and prosperity. She thanked G7 members and the European Union for their continued attention to developments in the Taiwan Strait, adding that Taiwan would continue to strengthen its self-defense capabilities and whole-of-society resilience while working with like-minded international partners to uphold freedom, democracy and human rights.

The Presidential Office also said Taiwan would continue to fulfill its international responsibilities and thanked the G7 for supporting Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations.

On military developments, Defense Minister Wellington Koo said recently that the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning and other naval formations had recently conducted area-denial exercises in the western Pacific. The government considers waters east of Taiwan strategically important for international aid and major shipping routes, and related military activities continue to be monitored.

The G7 statement once again linked Taiwan Strait security with international freedom of navigation, underscoring that the situation in the Taiwan Strait is no longer viewed solely as a cross-strait issue but as a regional concern drawing close attention from major industrialized nations and the international shipping sector.