Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung and Deputy Foreign Minister François Chih-chung Wu met with international journalists and spoke about government policy on climate change, defense resilience, energy security and technology cooperation.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the group of media workers were on a six-day visit Oct. 6-11 for National Day celebrations and comprised 15 reporters from 13 countries. Information and interviews were recently published by media outlets from Canada, Finland, India, Tuvalu, the U.K. and the U.S., with some examples given below.
Juno News of Canada noted that Lin said Taiwan receives pressure due to its location on the front line of authoritarian regimes, in addition, energy resources are no longer a purely economic matter but also a matter of survival and solidarity among democratic nations. Over 90 percent of Taiwan’s energy is imported from abroad, the minister added, calling on Canada and the U.S. to export petroleum and liquefied natural gas to the country to help strengthen its energy resilience and regional stability.
Daily newspaper Dainik Bhaskar of India focused on current Taiwan high tech government policy. Lin briefed on the promotion of 10 new AI infrastructure initiatives and stated that the country is committed to deepening technology collaboration with democracies including European countries and the U.S. to maintain information security while defending democratic values.
The Tuvalu Broadcasting Corp. pointed out that Taiwan shows its commitment even though it is excluded in this year’s Pacific Islands Forum. Lin emphasized that Taiwan demonstrates commitment to climate change adaptation and energy transformation; it continues to work with Australia and the U.S. to enhance climate resilience for Pacific nations. This commitment is evidenced by Taiwan’s participation in the Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project and its facilitation of renewable energy infrastructure construction in Palau and the Marshall Islands, Lin added.
Wu noted that the global economy will be seriously impacted if China takes military action against Taiwan, and even a blockade would cause artificial intelligence and high-tech industries to stagnate. Only through international community support can Taiwan’s security and stability and thus in turn, prosperity for all, be safeguarded, he added. (YCH-E)
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