The German Institute Taipei on Thursday highlighted cooperation between Taiwan and Germany, especially in the field of renewable energy, as part of German National Day celebrations in Taipei.
The institute celebrated German National Day at the Grand Hyatt Taipei at an event titled “Democracy — 100/70/30,” which represents the 100th year of the founding of the Weimar Republic, the 70th anniversary of the German Constitution and the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The de facto German embassy in Taiwan in a statement described democracy as an important value that links the two nations and serves as a foundation for a closer friendship and cooperation.
Photo: CNA
Democracy does not come easy and is the only form of government that respects universal human rights, institute Director General Thomas Prinz said.
He also cited cooperation between Germany and Taiwan in several fields, such as renewable energy, the economy, education and culture.
Germany is playing an important role in the expansion of renewable energies in Taiwan and leading German companies are also participating in advancing the transformation of Taiwan’s energy system, he said.
“This close cooperation in the field of renewable energies must be further intensified in the future in order to jointly master the challenges of this comprehensive Energy Turnaround project,” Prinz said.
There are 469 cooperation agreements between 146 German universities and 62 Taiwanese universities, and more than 2,000 Taiwanese students studying in Germany as of 2017, he added.
Prospects are bright for further cooperation between Taiwan and Germany in the ““5+2 Innovative Industries Plan,” referring to an initiative by President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration aimed at boosting the nation’s competitiveness by upgrading and transforming industry.
The plan covers seven industries and projects: intelligent machinery, Asia Silicon Valley, green energy, biomedicine, national defense and aerospace, new agriculture and the circular economy
Congratulating Germany on its National Day, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said that Taiwan and Germany are like-minded countries that share the values of freedom, democracy and the protection of human rights.
Wu also thanked Germany for its support of Taiwan’s efforts to seek greater international participation, including at the World Health Assembly, the International Civil Aviation Organization and other UN organizations.
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