Taiwan is to continue being a force for good and deepen ties with Indo-Pacific countries to contribute to building a new Asia that is inclusive and resilient, Vice President William Lai (賴清德), the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate, said at the Yushan Forum in Taipei yesterday.
Lai was invited to give opening remarks for a roundtable discussion titled “Start a New Blueprint for Asian Development,” calling on participants to “imagine a more advanced and more prosperous Asia.”
The Indo-Pacific “is one of the most important geopolitical areas in the 21st century,” contributing almost 65 percent of the world’s GDP, Lai said.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
“As long as the Indo-Pacific region is stable and prosperous, the world will be stable and prosperous as well,” he said.
Taiwan is willing to collaborate with like-minded partners to promote democracy, peace, security and prosperity in the region through “dialogue, consensus building and advancing mutually beneficial cooperation,” Lai said.
As a force for good, the nation always upholds the spirit of “Taiwan helps Asia, Asia helps Taiwan,” with the New Southbound Policy being a good example, he said.
Under the policy, Taiwan has trained more than 1,300 local medical personnel in Southeast Asia and India, Lai said, adding that bilateral trade between Taiwan and the New Southbound Policy countries increased by 88 percent, while total investment increased by 121 percent over the past seven years.
Lai also said that talents are at the core of any policy and added: “When individuals have hope, the nation has hope.”
Regarding challenges such as rising authoritarianism, net zero transition and digitalization in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era, Lai said that no country can handle them alone.
“Alone, we may go fast, but together, we can go far,” he said, calling on countries in the region to unite in the effort to achieve inclusiveness in the new Asia.
“When the world needs Taiwan, we will always be there,” he added.
In the roundtable discussion that followed, Ivan Kanapathy, who served on the White House’s National Security Council as director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia, said that Taiwan plays a “crucial and irreplaceable role” in the Indo-Pacific strategies of the US.
The US seeking economic cooperation with Taiwan, such as wooing investment from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), is also an effort to enhance deterrence, Kanapathy said.
The US is “moving in the right direction” in its policies related to the region.
Indian lawmaker Sujeet Kumar thanked Taiwan for being a force for good and extending a helping hand to countries in need, adding that the New Southbound Policy has significantly strengthened Taiwan’s position globally, especially in Southeast Asia.
Three passengers and the assailant were reportedly injured in a knife attack on the Taichung MRT on Tuesday. The Rapid Transit Brigade of the Taichung Police Department is still investigating the incident, with no motive immediately apparent. Taichung Police Commissioner Lee Wen-chang (李文章) said that at least four people were injured in the attack, and the suspect has been taken into custody. The incident occurred at about 11:15am on a train car near Taichung City Hall Station. Witnesses reported seeing a man attacking others with a knife, while other passengers tried to grab his hair or fend him off with umbrellas. Three people were reportedly
‘OBNOXIOUS MAN’: The KMT’s Chen Ching-hui moved into Chung Chia-pin’s path atop the podium and reached for him before he grabbed at her legs with both hands Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱) yesterday said he slipped and lost his balance, and did not know who was around him, after jumping onto the speaker’s podium at the legislature in Taipei. He apologized after a collision with Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chen Ching-hui (陳菁徽), who moved to intercept him as he mounted the podium. There was pushing and shoving when the session started in the morning as KMT lawmakers attempted to block access to the podium to shield Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) so he could preside over the session. Video footage showed Chung step on a chair and
While it is common to see bumper stickers informing other drivers about important information, such as “baby on board” or “rookie driver,” some motorist in Taiwan are using creative statements to warn other drivers to keep a safe distance to avoid a collision. A photograph recently circulating on the Internet showed a van in Changhua City with a bumper sticker saying that the driver received their license after taking the test three times, so it is dangerous to drive close to the vehicle. The person who took the photograph said all vehicles behind the van appeared to “subconsciously” maintaining a safe distance. Some
Taipei police on Saturday arrested 24 female Thai tourists on suspicion of working as hostesses and engaging in illegal activities at an underground bar in Zhongshan District (中山), the distict’s police precinct said in a statement yesterday. The police also arrested five other people involved in the operation, including the 29-year-old bar owner surnamed Chiang (蔣), and 17 customers, the statement said. The 24 Thai women were fined an undisclosed amount in accordance with the Social Order Maintenance Act (社會秩序維護法) by the police and transferred to a National Immigration Agency (NIA) special brigade in Taipei for repatriation to Thailand. The cases of