Sydney (Australia), April 17 Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong warned on Monday that a possible war in Taiwan “would be catastrophic for everyone”, where we are witnessing rising tensions between the United States and China, which calls the autonomous island a rebel province.

“We know there would be no real winners and we know that maintaining the ‘status quo’ is vastly superior to any alternative,” Minister Wong said today in a speech at the Press Club, a week after the Chinese military exercises against China. the coast of Taiwan.

Wong insisted on calling for “the peaceful resolution of the issues in the (Taiwan) Strait through dialogue, without threat or the use of force or coercion.”

Wong’s statements today coincide with complaints from China about the US Arleigh Burke destroyer USS Milius passing through the Taiwan Strait on Sunday.

This new escalation of tensions around Taiwan, one of the biggest sticking points between China and the United States, began on April 5 when Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and the President of the United States are found in California (USA). House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy.

RISK IN THE INDOPACIFIC

Wong also pointed out that the Indo-Pacific region, where the two powers are vying for hegemony, faces “unprecedented” circumstances due to territorial tensions in the South China Sea, China’s militarization “at an pace and on a scale not seen in the world for almost a year”. century” or the missile maneuvers of Beijing and Pyongyang.

“This combination of factors and the risk of a miscalculation represent the most difficult circumstances in decades,” said the Australian minister, an ally of the American nation and who has strained relations with Beijing.

The Minister explained that Australia’s role in the Indo-Pacific is to promote peace and security so that “sovereignty is respected and all countries benefit from a strategic balance”.

Since the May 2022 political reversal that brought Labor Anthony Albanese to power, Australia has made great efforts to regain lost influence in the Pacific, where China has been increasing its presence for some time and has been pushing to conclude agreements with various island nations. ECE

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