Defense Minister Richard Marles says Australia is not going to challenge the status-quo of the “One China” policy in relation to Taiwan and has refused to weigh into Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the disputed territory.
Speaking on Radio National earlier, Marles said Australia is taking the risk of escalation in the region “very seriously” as a result of China’s live military exercises taking place around Taiwan.
Defense Minister Richard Marles.Credit:James Brickwood
“We’re monitoring events very closely,” the defense minister said.
“Our position, which we’ve said repeatedly over the last few days – but over a long period of time now – is that we want to see is that there’ll be no alteration to the status quo, which exists on either side of the Taiwan Strait.
“And, in that sense, the One China policy – which has been, you know, the bipartisan position of governments of both persuasions in Australia since the 1970s – remains the case.”
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Australia’s One China policy means it does not acknowledge Taiwan as a separate country.
Asked whether Pelosi’s recent diplomatic visit represented a break from that stance, Marles replied that he wasn’t going to comment on the visit as it was a matter between the US and Taiwan.
“We are not about to tell people that they can or can’t go to Taiwan, that’s that’s not our position. And there are many people from the Australian government who are in the Australian parliament who have gone to Taiwan. And, obviously, we have a strong engagement with the people of Taiwan, and that will continue.”