A delegation from Taiwan attended the 2025 Sydney Dialogue Dec. 4-5 in Australia to call on members of the free world to work in unity to safeguard shared democratic values.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lee Yuh-jye, a senior advisor to the National Security Council, took part in a panel on technology and hybrid threats, while Lai You-hao, deputy director of the Democratic Governance Program of Taipei City-based think tank Research Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology, spoke on a panel discussing artificial intelligence as the most recent iteration of a great race between superpowers.
Lee said China continues to sponsor the spread of disinformation and collect personal information through online shopping websites for use in cognitive warfare. He added that Beijing is also using Taiwan as a test site for its intelligence and sabotage operations in an attempt to divide society, and can be expected to apply such experience to interfer with other democratic countries.
Lai said that as computing power and integrated circuit chips are the core of AI development, Taiwan plays a crucial role in the global AI race. He cited China as an example of the threats of government control over AI development, and stressed the importance of a transparent and open information environment, along with democratic and participative regulations, to building a strong foundation for fostering social trust and technological development.
Hosted by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, the annual event focused on such issues as AI and governance, supply chain security and national resilience, and digitalization in the Indo-Pacific and geopolitics, among others. (SFC-E)
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