Ukraine’s victory in repelling an ongoing Russian invasion would be the best deterrent to authoritarian expansion, former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said at an international security event in Canada on Saturday.
Tsai made the remarks at the annual Halifax International Security Forum (Halifax Forum), where she received the John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service, which she was awarded in 2021 in recognition of her leadership in defending Taiwan’s democracy and standing up to Chinese aggression.
Tsai was unable to receive the prize in person in 2021 due to her role as president at the time, and travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photo: The Canadian Press via AP
The use of coercion and force by authoritarian powers are serious challenges to all members of democratic society, and it is with urgency that democracies must establish strong national defense, she said.
Cooperation among democracies is more important than ever, as authoritarian regimes become stronger and more confident, and even collude with each other in the pursuit of their interests, she said, adding that the challenges posed by authoritarian regimes are exacerbated by issues like inflation, unemployment and an economic downturn.
“The Ukrainian case woke democracies up to the fact that our adversaries have no reservations about boosting their military arsenals,” she said.
“And they have been relentless in exerting ever-greater pressure on us, including through the increasing use of ‘gray zone’ activities,” she added.
Effectively deterring the expansion of authoritarianism is a cornerstone of safeguarding democratic institutions and maintaining global order, and is the reason that continued support for Ukraine is imperative, she said.
“A Ukrainian victory will serve as the most effective deterrence against future aggression,” she said.
Speaking on the issue of national defense, Tsai said that Taiwan is investing in traditional military equipment such as fighter jets, while also vigorously developing asymmetric combat capabilities such as mobile land-based anti-ship cruise missiles.
Taiwan has also established a civil defense agency to bolster the defense resilience of the nation’s society as a whole, she said, adding that this demonstrates the country’s willingness to shoulder its own defense responsibilities and not take the support of security partners for granted.
However, Taiwan — like other countries — is increasingly facing non-kinetic threats in the form of cognitive warfare, she said.
“Each and every democracy has to contend with FIMI, that is foreign information manipulations and interference, as well as cognitive warfare,” she said, adding that like-minded countries must cooperate to counter those threats.
Tsai also acknowledged international support for Taiwan.
“From the G7 to the EU, as reflected in the numerous statements by leaders at important gatherings, the international democratic community has been unanimous in its stance that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are indispensable to global security and prosperity,” she said.
Free navigation through the Taiwan Strait is important to international shipping and trade, and is crucial to Taiwan’s security, she said.
“I would like to thank all international partners who are paying attention and working together to ensure the security of our region,” she said.
In concluding her 20-minute speech, Tsai revealed that HFX, the Washington-based organization that convenes the Halifax International Security Forum, is to hold a session in Taiwan in February next year.
She invited the attendees to visit Taiwan to witness “our beautiful scenery, enjoy our culture and most importantly, to meet our wonderful people, who are so determined and work so hard to protect our hard-earned democracy.”
Additional reporting by CNA
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