Taiwan pledges to continue being 'force of good' after receiving support from G7

Taiwan on June 13 said that it will continue to be a “force for good” while seeking even greater international support after the island received unprecedented backing from the Group of Seven (G7) nations at the June 11-13 summit. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s office said on Sunday as the G7 leader’s summit concluded, that the Beijing-claimed island will enhance its partnership with seven of the world’s major democracies and other like-minded nations to strive for greater support on the global stage. 

Taiwan’s presidential office shared the statement on Facebook after G7 nations called out on China over human rights abuses in Xinjiang, Hong Kong’s derailed autonomy and underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Tsai’s spokesperson Xavier Chang said that it was the first time that the G7 leaders’ communique has laid emphasis on the importance of peace and stability in the strait. He also said in a statement that it was the first time since its founding that there was “content friendly to Taiwan” and expressed gratitude for the same.

The statement read, “this is the first time the G7 Leadership Summit communiqué emphasized the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and this year, following the US-Japan Leadership Summit, the US-South Korea Heads Summit, the Europe-Japan Lead As well as after the meeting of Japan and Australia, the world's major democracies have once again demonstrated their high interest in regional peace and stability. My Government once again sincerely thanks the G7 member States for their unwavering support.”

“Taiwan will certainly adhere to its role as a responsible member of the region, and it will also firmly defend the democratic system and safeguard shared universal values...Taiwan will continue to deepen its partnership with G7 states and other like-minded countries and strive for greater support from the international community,” it added. Chang also said that the island will “firmly contribute the greatest force for good" for peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.

G7 Leaders Pledged To 'Counter And Compete' With China

Meanwhile, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan on June 13 said that Group of Seven (G7) leaders, who met in person last week, rallied around the need to “counter and compete” with China on the emerging challenges including threats to democracy and the global race of technology. World’s developed nations met in Cornwall from June 11 to June 13 and discussed other issues such as climate change, global minimum tax among other common challenges. 

Specifically, on China, the G7 meeting was “a significant move forward from where the G7 has ever been before and reflects a growing convergence that wasn't there a few years ago,” said Sullivan reportedly aboard Air Force One on its way to Brussels. "Words like counter and compete were words coming out of the mouths of every leader in the room, not just Joe Biden," Sullivan said.

IMAGE: @POTUS/Twitter/AP