Taiwan being a democratic nation proves that Asian values and democratic ideals are compatible, former Estonian president Toomas Hendrik Ilves said during a meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday.
Ilves and other foreign dignitaries were invited to participate in this year’s Ketagalan Forum, titled Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue, in Taipei on Tuesday.
The meeting between Tsai and Ilves was also attended by Japanese lawmaker Keisuke Suzuki, former Australian ministers for defense Kevin Andrews and Christopher Pyne, and Lyon Institute of Political Studies associate professor Stephane Corcuff, as well as Ilves’ wife, Ieva Ilves.
Photo: CNA
Toomas Hendrik Ilves said things had changed since he visited Taiwan four years ago, citing increased tensions across the Taiwan Strait and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Security is no longer just a geopolitical issue, he said.
Living in a digital era, people, governments and companies are prey to hacking, network sabotage and disinformation, he said.
As conflicts and hostilities between democratic countries and authoritarian regimes continue, democracies need to defend themselves and rethink possible security threats, he said.
“We need a new security architecture that takes into account that we’re no longer living in a world strictly constrained by geopolitics and that we need to have a new form of an alliance based on shared values: free and fair elections, respect for human rights, the rule of law, and so on,” he said.
The expansion of liberty over the past few decades has disproved the idea promoted by authoritarian regimes that lack of freedom is rooted in culture, or that certain civilizations do not need respect for human rights or the rights of the individual, he said.
“One of the signature roles of Taiwan these days is to show the fallacy — the fallacy of the idea propagated by Russia, by the PRC [People’s Republic of China] and recently also Malaysia — that Asian values that are incompatible with the concepts of freedom, liberty [and] individual rights. And that is why it is so good to come to Taiwan to see proof that there are universal values,” he said.
Tsai said the COVID-19 pandemic has altered the world economy and led to a rapid restructuring of global supply chains.
“The expansion of authoritarianism has reminded us more than ever that democratic countries must unite to cultivate deeper economic and trade cooperation, and jointly develop more resilient supply chains,” she said.
Taiwan continues to seeks to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, as it is willing and able to meet the high standards of international trade, Tsai said.
The government last year sent a trade delegation to central and eastern Europe to explore investment opportunities, which yielded 18 memorandums of understanding on industrial and academic collaborations, Tsai said.
“We are currently rolling out our plan to strengthen ties with Europe, and continue to deepen cooperation and partnership with the European Union,” she added.
In March, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, Slovakia and the US jointly held a workshop under the Global Cooperation and Training Framework to discuss combating financial cybercrimes, Tsai said.
“Taiwan stands on the front line of defending democracy. We seek to jointly safeguard the values of freedom and democracy with our global democratic partners, and proactively contribute to the long-term stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region,” she said.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old