Closer Taiwan ties show alignment of Australia’s economic and strategic priorities

In this month’s AUSMIN statement, somewhat overshadowed by AUKUS and Australia’s decision to purchase nuclear-powered submarines, was a notably robust paragraph about Taiwan. The statement used new phraseology, describing Taiwan as ‘a leading democracy and a critical partner’. It was a step forward from the 2020 AUSMIN statement and also one of a number of bilateral and multilateral statements from countries, led by the United States, that have signalled concern for the security of Taiwan. The statements have come about in response to a step-up in tactics by Beijing over more than a year, including naval exercises and almost daily provocative military flights in the Taiwan Strait.