Former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott yesterday called on other democracies to stand with Taiwan in its bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
Taiwan is a model for the wider world, as it has transformed from a poor nation with autocratic leadership into a vibrant, pluralist democracy, Abbott said during a meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) at the Presidential Office in Taipei.
Abbott praised Taiwan’s success at controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, despite its absence from global bodies such as the WHO, due to Chinese obstruction.
Photo: Reuters
“It is in large measure to try to help to end this isolation from which Taiwan has been suffering for so many decades that I am here in this country, and I do hope that this will be the first of many visits,” he said.
“You have demonstrated to all the countries of the Indo-Pacific region that it is possible to be both rich and free, to have both liberty and democracy,” said the former Australian leader, who arrived in Taiwan earlier this week to attend a regional forum.
Unfortunately, not everyone is pleased with Taiwan’s progress, and it is challenged on an almost daily basis by its large neighbor, he said.
“It’s more important than ever, under such circumstances, your fellow democracies stand shoulder to shoulder with you,” said Abbott, who served as Australia’s prime minister from 2013 to 2015.
Countries like Australia can best help by building a deeper relationship with Taiwan across the board, particularly in the area of trade, Abbott said.
“I can’t think of a stronger signal of democracies standing shoulder to shoulder with Taiwan than Taiwan’s accession to the CPTPP,” Abbott said.
He expressed the hope that the members of the regional trade bloc would welcome Taiwan’s CPTPP application, which was formally submitted on Sept. 22.
Thanking Abbott for his vocal support of Taiwan’s CPTPP bid, Tsai said Taiwan is pursuing deeper cooperation with other democracies.
“Taiwan is willing to contribute to upholding regional peace and stability,” Tsai said. “We seek to deepen collaboration with other freedom-loving democracies in such areas as vaccines, emerging technologies, climate change and supply chains.”
On Sept. 30, Abbott said during an Australian parliamentary committee hearing that he was “strongly in favor” of Taiwan’s inclusion in the CPTPP, a trade bloc that comprises Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Abbott is in Taiwan to deliver a keynote address at the annual Yushan Forum, which is to be held today.
Now in its fifth year, the Taiwan-initiated regional forum seeks to strengthen the nation’s relationship with ASEAN, India, Australia and New Zealand.
Last year, former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull spoke at the forum.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that Abbott is in Taiwan as a private citizen.
“I didn’t have any conversation with him before that. Tony has served as my envoy to India. We went to India. We spoke, but Tony is there as a private citizen. So what he’s said and what messages he passed, he passed on in that capacity,” he said.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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