Democracies must remain united in the face of a shifting geopolitical landscape, former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) told the Copenhagen Democracy Summit on Tuesday, while emphasizing the importance of Taiwan’s security to the world.
“Taiwan’s security is essential to regional stability and to defending democratic values amid mounting authoritarianism,” Tsai said at the annual forum in the Danish capital.
Noting a “new geopolitical landscape” in which global trade and security face “uncertainty and unpredictability,” Tsai said that democracies must remain united and be more committed to building up resilience together in the face of challenges.
Photo courtesy of former president Tsai Ing-wen’s office
Resilience “allows us to absorb shocks, adapt under pressure and emerge stronger,” she said, adding that it is “the scaffolding of sustainable autonomy.”
Tsai said that under her administration, Taiwan bolstered its resilience on several fronts by increasing defense spending, implementing military reforms and bolstering digital infrastructure.
The efforts were a collective undertaking of Taiwanese society and it was through “collaboration and information sharing” that Taiwan built a “fortress” against infiltration attempts and cognitive warfare by foreign actors, she said.
Taiwan is uniquely positioned to serve as a high-tech manufacturing hub within the democratic camp and such “manufacturing agility enhances global supply chain resilience,” especially in the electronics, green energy and healthcare sectors, Tsai said.
Taiwan would continue to share its resilience-building with partners in the international community, she said, adding that “threats or coercion will never shake Taiwan’s resolve to engage and contribute to the world.”
Prior to speaking at the forum, Tsai, who arrived in Copenhagen earlier on Tuesday after concluding a visit to Lithuania, met with a group of Danish parliamentarians led by Pia Kjarsgaard.
In a social media post, Tsai thanked Kjarsgaard, who has visited Taiwan multiple times, for her efforts to advance ties between Taiwan and Denmark.
She expressed hope that Denmark and other European countries would continue to support Taiwan’s democratic way of life and its international participation.
Tsai was next scheduled to visit the UK as part of her European tour, her second to the continent since leaving office in May last year.
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