Japan and Palau tout peace in Taiwan StraitStaff writer, with CNAJapan and Taiwan’s Pacific ally Palau on Friday spoke of the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait while reaffirming their opposition to unilateral attempts to change the “status quo” in the Indo-Pacific region. Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr, left, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida meet in Tokyo on Friday. A security agreement China signed with the Solomon Islands, which switched allegiance from Taipei to Beijing in 2019, could have a “significant impact” on Pacific security, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Yoshimasa Hayashi told a news conference during a visit to Palau in May. The US, Australia and New Zealand have also expressed similar concerns over the security pact that was signed in April. Whipps arrived in Tokyo on Wednesday for a four-day visit, his first trip to Japan since assuming office in January last year.

Source: Taipei Times September 10, 2022 23:27 UTC