Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen thanks Scott Morrison, vows to ‘bolster security co-operation’ with Australia

Scott Morrison has dismissed warnings from Beijing and met with President Tsai on Taiwan’s national day to discuss ways to create a ‘strong deterrent against any violence or any aggression’.

Former prime minister Scott Morrison addresses Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei on Tuesday. Picture: Taiwan Presidential Office

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has thanked Scott Morrison for Australia’s support in the face of unprecedented aggression from Xi Jinping’s China and said her government would continue to work with Canberra to “bolster security co-operation”, during a highly symbolic meeting on Taiwan’s national day.

In a meeting in Taipei held hours after Taiwan’s national day parade, Ms Tsai thanked the former Australian prime minister for elevating concern about the importance of “stability across the Taiwan Strait”.

During a meeting on Tuesday afternoon in the Taiwan presidential office, she said Taiwan would continue to “work with Australia and other like-minded democ­racies in continuing to bolster ­security co-operation”.

“It is my sincere hope Mr Morrison will continue to play a key role in supporting Taiwan in the Australian parliament,” she said.

The AUKUS security partnership and elevation of the Quad made the Morrison government well regarded by security officials in the Tsai govern­ment.

Beijing had tried to scuttle Mr Morrison’s trip to Taiwan, warning it would have a “negative effect” on Australia’s relationship with China, but he dismissed those warnings and on Tuesday personally thanked Ms Tsai for the invitation.

“It has been my dream to come here for many, many years,” he said.

“We meet at a time of great disruption and uncertainty … The ongoing war in Ukraine and the terrible terrorist attacks that we have now seen in the Middle East, which break our hearts.

“But Taiwan is no stranger to uncertainty and no stranger to facing down great challenges and threats.”

Mr Morrison congratulated Ms Tsai for her “strong leadership over these many years … standing up for the peace and freedom of the people of ­Taiwan.”

He said he wanted to support a “resilient Taiwan” and a region that had a “strong deterrent against any violence or any ­aggression that would seek to take away the peace and freedom of the people of Taiwan”.

Australia’s two most senior diplomats based in Taiwan, de facto ambassador Lachlan Crews and deputy representative Michael Googan, accompanied Mr Morrison to the meeting with Ms Tsai and Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu.

In a demonstration of general support for Taiwan following increasingly ominous military ­operations in the area by China’s People’s Liberation Army, there was an unprecedented turnout from other liberal democracies during the national day celebrations.

A record 43 Japanese politicians came to Taipei, along with five Canadian senators in a separate delegation.

They attended a parade on Tuesday morning at which an American marching band was participating for the first time.

In her final national day speech, Ms Tsai said the strength of international support for Taiwan had reached an “unprecedented height”.

“Since this is a time we can now face the world with con­fidence and resolve, we can also be calm and self-assured in ­facing China, creating conditions for peaceful co-existence and future developments across the Taiwan Strait,” she said.