Taiwan is eager to deepen cooperation with democratic partners such as Poland to address authoritarian expansion and hopes to deepen collaboration on research and build a safer, more resilient democratic supply chain, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday.
Lai made the comments while receiving a delegation of Polish members of the European Parliament led by former Polish prime minister Beata Szydlo, who is a member of the European Parliament’s Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield, at the Presidential Office.
Szydlo called Taiwan one of the EU’s most important and reliable partners, adding that the bloc should continue enhancing cooperation with trusted democratic partners, the Presidential Office said in a statement.
Photo: CNA
The delegation was the third from the European Parliament to visit Taiwan this year, and the first delegation in nearly two parliamentary terms to consist entirely of members from the same political group and country, demonstrating that Taiwan-Poland ties were reaching a new level, the statement cited Lai as saying.
Since the beginning of this year, the European Parliament has adopted Taiwan-friendly resolutions, such as supporting drone development between Taiwan and the EU, supporting Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international bodies, calling for deeper collaboration among democratic partners and stressing the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, he said.
Lai lauded the European Parliament’s condemnation of the China’s Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law for restricting cultural, religious and linguistic freedoms abroad and their call for the law’s abolition in April.
It also adopted a resolution to counter Chinese transnational repression, he said, adding that these actions highlight how Europe is upholding the values of democracy and human rights.
Only by working together and bolstering democratic resilience can like-minded partners protect their democratic and free way of life, and protect regional and global peace and stability, he said.
Taiwan and Poland have thriving innovation ecosystems and robust technological foundations that are complementary to each other, and by deepening research and development cooperation and expanding markets, the nations can create safer and more resilient democratic supply chains, Lai said.
Although geographically far apart, Taiwan and Poland share common values, including strong work ethics, solidarity and a commitment to safeguarding security, Szydlo said, adding that Taiwan is a trustworthy partner.
Taiwan’s accomplishments in emerging technology, artificial intelligence and semiconductors are crucial to the restructuring of global supply chains, she said.
Amid heightened political tensions, supply chain restructuring is directly connected to national security, making Taiwan and Poland great partners to cooperate in investment, economic security, artificial intelligence, Internet security and high-tech sectors, she said.
Peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is not only important to Taiwan, but to peace and stability in Europe, Szydlo said, adding that all conflicts should be resolved peacefully and in line with international law, without the use of force.
The EU should continue to enhance collaborations with trustworthy democratic partners such as Taiwan, she said.
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