Democracy in Taiwan is more than just a political system; it is a way of life and an identity that Taiwanese have fought for, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said during the opening of a Forum 2000 Foundation event in Taipei yesterday.
It marked the first time the Forum for Democratic Cooperation, hosted by the Forum 2000 Foundation, was held in the Indo-Pacific region.
Situated on the First Island Chain, Taiwan is a critical front line that bolsters global democratic resilience, Lin said.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
Taiwanese have lived under constant military threat, as well as enduring international diplomatic isolation and cognitive warfare tactics, Lin said, adding that, despite this, Taiwan has not cowed and is still an open, democratic, innovative and resilient country.
Taiwan’s story is a testament to democratic values, Lin said, adding that if one’s democracy proves resilient to external pressure, the people’s participation in public affairs increases, and with the support of international partners, democracy cannot be subverted
A free and liberal community is the most adaptive and innovative, Lin said.
Taiwan is an integral node connecting the Indo-Pacific, Europe and North American democracies, and is not a passive regional observer, but a major force actively upholding regional peace and stability.
The Taiwan Strait issue is not confined to Taiwan’s internal politics; it is a global challenge, especially in an era when supply chain resilience is considered a matter of national security, Lin said.
Quoting President William Lai (賴清德), Lin said that a credible technological ecosystem and a resilient supply chain free of Chinese influence form the pillar of support for global democracy, adding that Taiwan is prepared to work with its international partners to ensure that emerging technology is used to empower freedom, and not to expand authoritarianism.
Foundation executive director Jakub Klepal said the foundation was founded by late Czech president Vaclav Havel, who had decades-long strong ties with Taiwan.
Czech-Taiwan ties are long-standing and founded on collaborations in technology, education, Internet safety and parliamentary interactions, Klepal said, adding that he was proud to say that the Czech Republic is one of Taiwan’s closest friends in Europe.
Meanwhile, commenting on the coalition government’s refusal to provide a government aircraft for Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil’s planned visit to Taiwan next month, as it seeks closer business ties with China, former Czech minister of foreign affairs Tomas Petricek said on the sidelines of the forum that the Czech government is in the midst of discussing a rebalancing of relations with Taiwan and China.
The new government in Prague remains interested in Czech-Taiwan collaborations, but might adopt more practical, opportunistic diplomatic rhetoric, he added.
Petricek said he did not feel that the Czech government’s actions would bring about expected results, adding that the Czech-China trade deficit was so large that investments in China would benefit China more than it would benefit the Czech Republic.
Additional reporting by Huang Ching-hsuan
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