Taipei: A group of Australian lawmakers has landed in Taiwan, Taipei’s foreign ministry confirmed, defying warnings from Beijing over the visit at a time of rising tensions over the self-ruled island.
“There is a group of bipartisan members of the parliament from Australia currently visiting Taiwan. They are already here,” ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou told reporters yesterday.
The delegation will “discuss a wide array of issues of mutual interests”, she said without providing further details.
“We appreciate that the Australian parliament is very friendly to Taiwan,” Ou said, calling Taipei’s relationship with Canberra “robust, diverse and mutually beneficial”.
The group left on Sunday for a five-day visit to Taiwan, according to a spokesman for one delegation member, risking China’s ire just as Beijing-Canberra relations appeared to be thawing.
The Chinese foreign ministry on Monday expressed opposition to the trip, calling on Australia to adhere to its “one-China principle” and “stop sending the wrong signal to ‘Taiwan independence’ forces”.
Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunited one day – by force if necessary – and has become more bellicose towards the island under President Xi Jinping.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese sought to play down the mission’s significance after it was first reported by the Weekend Australian newspaper.
“There have been backbench visits to Taiwan for a long time. This is another one. This isn’t a government visit,” he told reporters. — AFP
