Taipei, Aug. 27 (CNA) A group of Australian parliamentarians is set to visit Taiwan in September, in what would be the first such public visit by the country’s MPs so far this year, the Central News Agency (CNA) has learned on Saturday.
The visit followed one by a bipartisan delegation of Australian parliamentarians in December last year, and is being presented by one interviewed by Australian media as a continuation of visits that have occurred over years.
Timing
It comes at a sensitive time as Australia tries to mend damaged ties with Beijing as its previous administration had closely aligned its China policy with that of Washington’s, including regarding support for Taiwan.
Australian officials are in the midst of negotiating with their Chinese counterparts about a planned visit to Australia by China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi (王毅), and a possible visit to China by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese later in the year as it seeks to improve relations with Beijing.
The Chinese government opposes high level visits by other countries to Taiwan, which it sees as part of one country with mainland China, and is likely to object to this one as well.
Regarding its handling of the last visit, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had cited “mutual trust” in refraining from disclosing the detailed itinerary of the trip.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Canberra said parliamentary exchanges were a “common practice among democracies” and it would “welcome Australian parliamentarians from all political parties to visit Taiwan,” Australian media outlet ABC News reported on August 22.
Australia gov’t response
When asked by CNA to confirm the upcoming visit, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade sidestepped the query, yet mentioned that “Australia values its deep and productive unofficial relationship with Taiwan, focused on trade and investment, cultural and people to people ties.”
Australia adheres to a One China policy that does not recognize Taiwan as a country but maintains unofficial contacts with Taipei, as stated on the department’s website.
Meanwhile, an official source familiar with the matter informed CNA on Saturday that parliamentarians travel to Taiwan in their own capacity, not as representatives of the Australian government.
Australian National University academic Benjamin Herscovitch said aside from a gap due to COVID-19 border restrictions, Australian parliamentarians have continued to visit Taiwan over the years.
“This latest visit isn’t a dramatic departure from that schedule of semi-regular past trips,” he told CNA via WhatsApp on Sunday.
But he said it was noteworthy that one of the Australian parliamentarians on this visit has been willing to publicly discuss it in advance.
In recent years, these visits haven’t usually been clearly advertised prior to them taking place and have been accompanied by usually limited publicity, the academic added.
Canberra’s Taiwan policy
When asked about Australian governments’ Taiwan policy, Herscovitch said it hasn’t shifted significantly under the Labor Albanese government.
Canberra continues to slowly increase its security engagement with Taipei. This includes expanding the remit of the Australian Office to engage with the Taiwanese security services and military, and extending Australia-Taiwan cooperation to regional security issues, he noted.
It’s hard to discern substantial differences in Taiwan between the Australian Labor Party and the conservative Coalition, he said.
Both sides are committed to developing strong trade ties with Taiwan and preserving international space for the Taiwanese government, he added.
According to the scholar, maintaining a peaceful and stable cross-strait status quo remains the bipartisan consensus as well and the Labor Albanese government is unlikely to diverge from those longstanding Australian positions.
Trade relations
Taiwan remains a key trade partner for Australia. In 2022, Taiwan was the fourth most valuable goods export destination for Australia.
“Although the strong economic complementarities will likely see trade links remain strong, Australia under the Albanese government appears unlikely to pursue a bilateral free trade agreement with Taiwan,” Herscovitch said.
This year’s 10-member cohort will include Labor MPs Josh Wilson, David Smith and Graham Perrett, as well as Shadow Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Claire Chandler, according to ABC News.
As of press time, none of the aforementioned parliamentarians has responded to CNA’s email seeking confirmation of the trip.
