Part 2/9:
Taylor emphasized that Australia's commitment to maintaining the status quo around Taiwan remains unwavering, despite debates about explicit preconditions or joint commitments to defend Taiwan in the event of conflict. He clarified that Australia does not advocate for entrenching specific scenarios into policy but instead focuses on core principles: preserving peace and security in the Taiwan Strait through strength and deterrence.
He noted that recent statements about not pre-committing to particular conflict responses align with longstanding Australian policy. "You can't codify all scenarios," he asserted, stressing that the focus should be on deterrence and resilience rather than attempting to predict every possible Southeast Asian crisis.