Taiwan is to continue promoting national defense reform so that next year’s national defense budget would reach at least 3 percent of GDP, President William Lai (賴清德) told the opening of the Ketagalan Forum today.
This year’s Ketagalan Forum, titled “Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue,” is being held today in Taipei by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, gathering leaders from the US, UK, Canada, India, France and more.
Lai delivered his speech in English, saying that this year’s forum would focus on three major themes closely linked to Taiwan’s development: Indo-Pacific regional security, whole-of-society defense strategies in democratic countries, and the strategic integration of economic, technological and industrial diplomacy.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
The forum would help democratic countries from around the world find more ways to work together toward “a more secure Indo-Pacific and more prosperous world,” Lai said.
“As authoritarianism continues to expand, democratic nations must join even closer in solidarity to defend our values,” he said.
Taiwan is a key factor to Indo-Pacific peace and stability, and its government remains “committed to maintaining the ‘status quo’ and ensuring peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” Lai said.
Working toward this goal, Taiwan has been enhancing whole-of-society defense and resilience, specifically by treating last month as “national solidarity month,” he said.
This year’s annual Han Kuang military exercises last month expanded civil participation, testing the readiness of government agencies and the public to address extreme situations through military-civilian cooperation, he said.
Lai went on to discuss national defense spending, saying that “next year’s defense budget will reach a target of over 3 percent of GDP to boost Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities.”
In addition, Lai said Taiwan would continue to enhance its economic resilience, steadily advance its economic security and deepen its economic and trade cooperation with other countries.
“We will keep upgrading our five trusted industry sectors of semiconductors, artificial intelligence, military security and surveillance, and next-gen communications,” he added.
Taiwan’s strength and its democratic footing are grounded firmly in its economy, Lai said.
By working together, democratic countries can create more resilient democratic supply chains and secure even more economic prosperity, he said.
“Peace in the Taiwan Strait is not just a regional issue, but a shared responsibility for economic stability and security around the world,” he added.
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