Former NATO secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen yesterday said that his visit to Taiwan was a show of “strong support” for the nation’s self-determination, freedom and democracy.
Speaking during a meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) at the Presidential Office in Taipei, Rasmussen said he was “in Taiwan to show my strong support for your rights to decide the future of Taiwan yourselves.”
“I am here to show my strong support for your rights to exist in freedom and peace,” he added.
Photo: CNA
Rasmussen was speaking in his capacity as the founder of the Alliance of Democracies Foundation, a Denmark-based organization seeking to advance democracy and free markets worldwide.
The foundation, which invited Tsai to address its annual democracy summit for three consecutive years from 2020, was sanctioned by Beijing in 2021.
The former Danish prime minister, who was secretary-general of NATO from 2009 to 2014, arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday for a three-day trip that is to conclude today.
The world’s democracies represent 60 percent of the global economy and if they work together, they could be “a formidable force that will create respect in Beijing and other capitals of autocratic nations,” he said. “We need to strengthen our fight against — or our attempts to counter — the advancing autocracies.”
“Taiwan is a solid democracy belonging to the family of the world’s democracies,” he said, adding that he looked forward to discussing with Tsai how to “further strengthen the bonds between Taiwan and Europe.”
Tsai said that Taiwan would continue to boost its national defense in response to the challenges posed by authoritarian expansionism, while seeking to increase cooperation with democratic allies to contribute to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
The government’s plans to extend compulsory military service to one year from four months and roll out reforms to intensify military training were part of efforts to bolster the nation’s defense capability, she said.
Since Rasmussen last visited Taiwan in 1994, the nation has transformed into a vibrant democracy with a prosperous economy and resilient civil society, Tsai said.
Her administration is happy to see Rasmussen bear witness to the long strides the nation has made, and the deep faith Taiwanese have in freedom and democratic values, she said.
Taiwan is one of many successful democracies with an authoritarian past and therefore appreciates its hard-won freedoms as something that should not be taken for granted, she added.
Additional reporting by Chen Yun
TRAGEDY STRIKES TAIPEI: The suspect died after falling off a building after he threw smoke grenades into Taipei Main Station and went on a killing spree in Zhongshan A 27-year-old suspect allegedly threw smoke grenades in Taipei Main Station and then proceeded to Zhongshan MRT Station in a random killing spree that resulted in the death of the suspect and two other civilians, and seven injured, including one in critical condition, as of press time last night. The suspect, identified as a man surnamed Chang Wen (張文), allegedly began the attack at Taipei Main Station, the Taipei Fire Department said, adding that it received a report at 5:24pm that smoke grenades had been thrown in the station. One man in his 50s was rushed to hospital after a cardiac arrest
PUBLIC SAFETY: The premier said that security would be tightened in transport hubs, while President Lai commended the public for their bravery The government is to deploy more police, including rapid response units, in crowded public areas to ensure a swift response to any threats, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after a knife attack killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei the previous day. Lai made the remarks following a briefing by the National Police Agency on the progress of the investigation, saying that the attack underscored the importance of cooperation in public security between the central and local governments. The attack unfolded in the early evening on Friday around Taipei Main Station’s M7 exit and later near the Taipei MRT’s Zhongshan
SAFETY FIRST: Double the number of police were deployed at the Taipei Marathon, while other cities released plans to bolster public event safety Authorities across Taiwan have stepped up security measures ahead of Christmas and New Year events, following a knife and smoke bomb attack in Taipei on Friday that left four people dead and 11 injured. In a bid to prevent potential copycat incidents, police deployments have been expanded for large gatherings, transport hubs, and other crowded public spaces, according to official statements from police and city authorities. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city has “comprehensively raised security readiness” in crowded areas, increased police deployments with armed officers, and intensified patrols during weekends and nighttime hours. For large-scale events, security checkpoints and explosives
ON ALERT: Taiwan’s partners would issue warnings if China attempted to use Interpol to target Taiwanese, and the global body has mechanisms to prevent it, an official said China has stationed two to four people specializing in Taiwan affairs at its embassies in several democratic countries to monitor and harass Taiwanese, actions that the host nations would not tolerate, National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) said yesterday. Tsai made the comments at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, which asked him and Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) to report on potential conflicts in the Taiwan Strait and military preparedness. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵) expressed concern that Beijing has posted personnel from China’s Taiwan Affairs Office to its
RSS