The viewpoint of Taiwan is more important than ever for Asia-
Pacific democracies when facing current challenges, former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull said in Taipei yesterday.
Turnbull made the remark in his keynote speech titled “Democratic Leadership in a Populist Age” at an annual forum hosted by the Center for Asia-Pacific Resilience and Innovation (CAPRI) think tank.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
The challenges posed by authoritarian governments are becoming more serious, but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made NATO stronger and the Western world more united in defending democracy, he said.
Ukrainians’ tenacious and courageous fight against Russia demonstrated that “democracies must support each other,” Turnbull said.
Democracies in the Asia-Pacific region should “ensure the strong does not do as they will,” and defend democracy and the right of nations to determine their own destinies free from coercion, he said.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
Another great threat to democracy is disinformation, spread by external forces and domestic conspiracy theorists, Turnbull said.
He warned against the dominance of social media, which has transformed the media landscape and made society more divided.
A diversity of voices helps reduce the risk of monopolies, but audiences in today’s world often only hear the voice most similar to their own and media are striving to capture their attention by presenting increasingly extreme views, Turnbull said.
To defend democratic resilience in the social media era, people need to “stand up for truth and call out lies for what they are,” which requires input from the government and responsible media organizations, he said.
Trust can be built on the foundation of truth and transparency, he added.
Turnbull, who serves as chair of CAPRI’s International Advisory Council, is making his first visit to Taiwan.
Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁), in his speech at the forum, said that Taiwan demonstrated economic and industrial endurance during the COVID-19 pandemic, and continues to bolster the resilience of its economy, workforce and the environment.
Global challenges, such as the pandemic, climate change and the Russia-Ukraine war, “have made evident just how vulnerable and helpless national economies and global supply chains are in the face of sudden extreme risks,” Chen said.
To combat challenges beyond national borders, “we must all rely on working together with like-minded countries to adopt consistent and effective responses,” he said.
“Be prepared for danger in times of peace” is a motto Taiwanese live by, he added.
Despite being excluded from the UN system, Taiwan “has consistently fulfilled its responsibility as a member of the global village” by promoting the transition to net zero emissions, he said.
“Taiwan is glad to share its experience in post-pandemic national resilience-building with the global community,” and looks forward to working with international partners to promote resilience and prosperity, Chen said.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-Wong tomorrow, which it said would possibly make landfall near central Taiwan. As of 2am yesterday, Fung-Wong was about 1,760km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving west-northwest at 26kph. It is forecast to reach Luzon in the northern Philippines by tomorrow, the CWA said. After entering the South China Sea, Typhoon Fung-Wong is likely to turn northward toward Taiwan, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said, adding that it would likely make landfall near central Taiwan. The CWA expects to issue a land
Taiwan’s exports soared to an all-time high of US$61.8 billion last month, surging 49.7 percent from a year earlier, as the global frenzy for artificial intelligence (AI) applications and new consumer electronics powered shipments of high-tech goods, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. It was the first time exports had exceeded the US$60 billion mark, fueled by the global boom in AI development that has significantly boosted Taiwanese companies across the international supply chain, Department of Statistics Director-General Beatrice Tsai (蔡美娜) told a media briefing. “There is a consensus among major AI players that the upcycle is still in its early stage,”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it is expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong this afternoon and a land warning tomorrow. As of 1pm, the storm was about 1,070km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, and was moving west-northwest at 28 to 32kph, according to CWA data. The storm had a radius of 250km, with maximum sustained winds of 173kph and gusts reaching 209kph, the CWA added. The storm is forecast to pass near Luzon in the Philippines before entering the South China Sea and potentially turning northward toward Taiwan, the CWA said. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said
PREPARATION: Ferry lines and flights were canceled ahead of only the second storm to hit the nation in November, while many areas canceled classes and work Authorities yesterday evacuated more than 3,000 people ahead of approaching Tropical Storm Fung-wong, which is expected to make landfall between Kaohsiung and Pingtung County this evening. Fung-wong was yesterday morning downgraded from a typhoon to a tropical storm as it approached the nation’s southwest coast, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, as it issued a land alert for the storm. The alert applies to residents in Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Taitung counties, and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春). As of press time last night, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Yilan, Miaoli, Changhua, Yunlin, Pingtung and Penghu counties, as well as Chiayi city and county had
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