Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) called for more cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to address attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure that threaten their information security during a speech at Vilnius University in Lithuania yesterday.
During the speech, Tsai took note of recent incidents in which undersea cables vital for data transmission across borders in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea were severed over the past year.
Taiwanese authorities have suspected Chinese sabotage of the cables near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have pointed to Russia as likely being responsible for the cable cutting in the Baltic.
Photo: CNA
“Taiwan and our European friends should work closely together on this issue,” Tsai said of the disruptions, calling for the “sharing [of] best practices” to more effectively respond to escalating attacks on their critical infrastructure.
More broadly, Tsai urged democracies to work together on addressing abuses of open information platforms.
Taiwan is “an ideal partner for European countries” as they step up efforts to address disinformation and manipulation campaigns perpetrated by authoritarian regimes with the aim of eroding democratic institutions, said Tsai.
According to Tsai, Taiwan has “gained unique experience and developed innovative tools to counter malign influence” through its extensive exposure to cyberattacks, disinformation operations and large-scale military drills.
The former president also praised the ongoing collaborations between Taiwan and Lithuania initiated during her tenure, during which Taipei opened a representative office in Vilnius and Vilnius established a trade office in Taipei.
The warming of ties between the two since 2021 has faced challenges, however, including Beijing’s punitive economic measures against Lithuania and concerns within Lithuanian society about the political and economic repercussions of deepening such a relationship.
Tsai began the first leg of her European tour in Lithuania on Saturday, meeting with former Lithuanian president Dalia Grybauskaitė and other parliamentarians from the Baltic nation, and visiting a Taiwanese-Lithuanian venture focused on vertical farming.
According to Tsai’s office, she also met with a delegation from the US House of Representatives, including Democrat Betty McCollum and Republican Jake Ellzey.
After visiting Lithuania, Tsai will travel to Denmark and later the UK.
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust
RSS