Practical interaction with the Holy See is beneficial to sustaining Taiwan’s diplomatic relations, Minister Without Portfolio Audrey Tang (唐鳳) said on Tuesday, following her introduction on Saturday of the nation’s democratic progress at a technology conference at the Vatican.
The Artificial Intelligence, Monopoly, Privacy and Democracy conference was organized by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and attended by representatives from more than 10 nations, including the US, Germany, Israel, Italy and Brazil.
Tang promotes “open government” and was invited to serve as the minister responsible for digital policies in October 2016.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
Opening her speech with Taiwanese values as touted by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Tang spoke about how technology serves as a driving force for the nation’s democratic development.
Tang did not criticize China, but referred to the 2014 Sunflower movement as “Occupy Parliament” to connect the movement with worldwide occupation protests against political and economic inequality.
She also addressed how domestically developed online programs, such as vTaiwan and g0v.tw, facilitated policy negotiations by bridging the gaps between governmental agencies, businesses and the public.
Taiwanese society is no longer dominated by conflicting values, but is now able to contain the expressions of people with diversified values, Tang told reporters before attending a legislative session in Taipei on Tuesday.
Asked if she had encountered any pressure from Beijing before attending the conference, Tang said her speech was about sustainable development, which is not particularly controversial and is a global issue that needs joint contributions.
Any practical interactions or conversations are beneficial to maintaining diplomatic relations between Taiwan and the Vatican, she said, when asked whether relations would be affected by the ally’s increasing interaction with China.
Additional reporting by CNA
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