Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) yesterday emphasized Taiwan’s commitment to defending itself in a call for the nation’s allies and like-minded partners to preserve global peace and prosperity.
To invest in Taiwan’s capabilities is to invest in peace, she told this year’s Halifax International Security Forum in Taipei in a closing speech.
Taiwan is a small nation, but the Taiwanese ethics of hard work, innovation and resilience can be wielded to extraordinary effect as a force for justice and progress, she said, adding that the nation is indispensable to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Photo: screen grab from the Presidential Office’s Flickr
The nation’s hosting of the event showed that people from around the world could come together to rally in defense of their shared values, she added.
The forum’s participants share a firm belief in the democratic system of government’s importance to human rights, economic prosperity and international peace, Hsiao said.
Yet, tragedies and conflicts afflict the world every day, she said, adding that leaders cannot afford to be complacent, and must remain cautious and strive to do better with a sense of urgency.
Photo: screen grab from the Presidential Office’s Flickr
Taiwan has increased its defense spending, strengthened the training and capabilities of military reserves, and obtained better weapons systems for its armed forces, Hsiao said.
Concurrently, the nation has made use of Taiwanese innovation and the capabilities of the private sector to enhance national security, she said.
Taiwan has taken a precise and specific approach to bolster its ability to defend itself against the nation’s most significant threat, the Chinese Communist Party and its People’s Liberation Army, she said.
China frequently intrudes into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, and conducts cyberattacks against the nation in a bid to undermine Taiwanese confidence in the government and democratic institutions, Hsiao said.
Beijing’s “gray zone” tactics conducted across multiple domains require a multidomain response from a determined nation, she said.
President William Lai’s (賴清德) Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee has been established to augment the nation’s civil defense, response to natural disasters and economic resilience, Hsiao said.
Taiwan has observed global geopolitical changes that have called for a renewed focus on defending its values and turning the current crisis into an opportunity, she said.
Meanwhile, Akie Abe, wife of the late Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, also spoke at the forum, saying that holding the event in Taiwan is an act that holds special meaning amid the current period of international turmoil.
Citing her late husband, Akie Abe reiterated that a Taiwan contingency is a Japan contingency, and that peace in the Taiwan Strait is crucial to the region, adding that Shinzo Abe’s love of peace carries an important message to the world.
Separately, Lai yesterday also met with Akie Abe at the Presidential Office to thank her for Shinzo Abe’s ideals, and contributions to regional peace and prosperity, and called for the continued support of the nation’s friends and allies.
Additional reporting by Su Yung-yao
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
CROSS-STRAIT: The vast majority of Taiwanese support maintaining the ‘status quo,’ while concern is rising about Beijing’s influence operations More than eight out of 10 Taiwanese reject Beijing’s “one country, two systems” framework for cross-strait relations, according to a survey released by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday. The MAC’s latest quarterly survey found that 84.4 percent of respondents opposed Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formula for handling cross-strait relations — a figure consistent with past polling. Over the past three years, opposition to the framework has remained high, ranging from a low of 83.6 percent in April 2023 to a peak of 89.6 percent in April last year. In the most recent poll, 82.5 percent also rejected China’s
RSS