President William Lai (賴清德) today presided over the opening of this year’s Ketagalan Forum in Taipei, emphasizing in his speech his “four pillars of peace” plan for maintaining security in the Taiwan Strait.
Authoritarianism is now a global challenge, Lai said, citing Chinese military expansionism, economic coercion and use of hybrid warfare tactics such as cyberattacks and cognitive warfare.
“We are all fully aware that China’s growing authoritarianism will not stop with Taiwan, nor is Taiwan the only target of China’s economic pressures,” he said. “China intends to change the rules-based international order. That is why democratic countries must come together and take concrete action.”
Photo: Liao Chen-hui, Taipei Times
Saying that Taiwan “will not be intimidated,” Lai reiterated his “four pillars of peace” action plan to strengthen national defense, build economic security, strengthen democratic partnerships and engage in stable and principled cross-strait leadership.
“Taiwan is determined to serve as a key driver for the development of global democracy, peace and prosperity,” Lai said. “More than anything, we hope our partners can be united as we support the democratic umbrella.”
Hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prospect Foundation, the Ketagalan Forum: 2024 Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue is the eighth edition of the annual event.
Keynote speakers include former Japanese prime minister Yoshihiko Noda, former Slovakian prime minister Eduard Heger and former US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley.
Attendees include representatives from 11 nations, including the US, Canada, Japan, Australia, India, Israel, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Denmark.
Discussion topics were to include gray-zone conflict in the Taiwan Strait and South and East China Seas, economic resilience, and how digital authoritarianism is spread through false information, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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