Why Taiwan matters to Australia’s Indo-Pacific future
Taiwan is not a problem to be managed but a capable partner to be engaged. By working with it, Australia can promote its objectives of stability, transparency and the rules-based order.
Following Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to China last week for high-level talks, questions around regional security, economic interdependence, and the rules that govern the Indo-Pacific, are once again front and centre. Amid shifting power dynamics, Taiwan’s role as a pragmatic and principled partner deserves renewed attention in Australia’s regional outlook.
Much of the Taiwan-Australia relationship has grown not through headline grabbing incidents, but rather through quiet, sustained connection—built by business leaders, educators, students and community networks. These ties are not abstract. They are a lived reality, closely nurtured and deeply valued on both sides.
At the annual meeting of the Oceania Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce in Melbourne this month, I witnessed firsthand how deep and longstanding these links truly are. The event gathered business leaders who are not only driving bilateral trade, but embodying shared values—openness, resilience and the quiet strength of diaspora engagement. It was an eye-opening experience to see so much commonality between us, and to appreciate the size and scale of not just our economic, but our cultural and people-to-people ties.
Taiwan’s economic relevance is clear: we rank among the world’s top 20 economies, lead globally in semiconductor manufacturing and are pioneers in digital and green innovation. Taiwan is also a vibrant democracy that engages with the world calmly and constructively, even in the face of growing pressure. As a thriving liberal democracy in the region, Taiwan should stand as a symbol for what can be achieved when individual freedom, human dignity and vibrant cultural pluralism are prioritised within a country’s systems and ethos. And our international participation—our merit and value as a partner—should, in theory, be accepted as a given.
In December, a public forum jointly organised by the Australian Taiwan Club, the Melbourne Taiwanese Association and the Australasian Taiwan Studies Association brought into sharp focus the question of Taiwan’s inclusion in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership trading bloc. Senator Raff Ciccone, among others, expressed strong support for Taiwan’s accession and praised our contributions to regional trade and stability. Former Victorian minister Luke Donnellan, now co-chair of the Australian Taiwan Club, further urged the Australian government to actively champion Taiwan’s inclusion, especially as Australia holds the chair of the trade bloc in 2025.
These voices reflect a growing recognition that supporting Taiwan is not about taking sides but about upholding our values and fostering resilient trade. Taiwan already maintains high-standard agreements with Canada, New Zealand, Britain and the European Union—proving that meaningful economic cooperation can thrive, even without diplomatic recognition.
Supporting Taiwan does not necessarily equate to opposing China. Rather, it affirms a commitment to an Indo-Pacific order built on openness, stability and cooperation—where partnerships are formed based on capability and integrity, not coercion or fear.
Some may argue that deeper engagement risks diplomatic strain. But disengagement carries its own risks—missed opportunities, weakened credibility and the unintended signal that quiet, constructive democracies must stay silent to stay safe.
Taiwan does not ask to be spoken for. We only ask to be heard. When Australia listens, it finds not a provocateur but a practical partner—one that brings reliability, integrity and a proven record of cooperation.
We understand that Australia must balance many relationships in its regional diplomacy. It is precisely because of this that Taiwan’s stability and openness, our shared values and our long history of friendship make us a trustworthy regional partner, with a steadily growing relationship that is well worth leaning into.
As the Indo-Pacific continues to evolve, Australia and Taiwan have much to gain—not from confrontation, but from a deepened, deliberate partnership rooted in common interests and a shared vision for a free, open and prosperous region.
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