President Lai Ching-te received a foreign delegation to the annual Yushan Forum at the Presidential Office March 18 in Taipei City, pledging to continue working with global democratic partners to promote prosperity for all.
According to the PO, the group included Anders Fogh Rasmussen, chair of the Alliance of Democracies Foundation; Janez Janša, former prime minister of Slovenia; Pavel Fischer, chair of the Czech Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and Security; and Anshuman Tripathi, member of the Indian National Security Advisory Board.
Lai said he attended the forum for the first time as head of state the day before, and was greatly impressed by the dedication of friends of Taiwan who came from around the world to discuss ways to address challenges and expand cooperation.
The president said his government will continue working to enable Taiwan’s small and medium enterprises to expand their global presence and extend the country’s economic prowess. He hoped that the delegation’s visit would result in more opportunities for global cooperation in artificial intelligence, smart medicine and other advanced technologies for the prosperity for all.
At the same time, Lai said Taiwan is committed to deepening exchanges with partners to fight authoritarian expansion, ensure regional peace and security and promote a free, open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific. It is hoped that the visiting guests will also help promote stronger Taiwan-Europe relations, he added.
In response, Rasmussen said the visit by the delegates from different political parties in four continents reflects their commitment to democracy. His experiences in Taiwan reaffirmed his conviction that Taiwan is a beacon of democracy in a time of uncertainties, as well as a great example for Europe and other parts of the world.
Commending Taiwan for its support of Ukraine, Rasmussen said the war in Ukraine is also the war of all, he said, adding that ensuring the freedom of Taiwan is in the common interest. He also applauded Lai’s decision to increase Taiwan’s defense budget to over 3 percent of its gross domestic product, as it is every country’s responsibility to defend itself. (SFC-E)
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