Rock-solid support of Taiwan as stated by former Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is sincerely appreciated by the government and people, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dec. 14.
In a keynote speech during the 2021 Taiwan-U.S.-Japan Trilateral Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue, Abe said Taiwan must be a leader and rise up to spread faith in democracy across the globe. The common agenda of all parties is to never lose such belief in shared values of freedom, human rights and the rule of law for the generations to come, he added.
According to Abe, the power of democracy comes from within and is strong. All three countries must keep seeking to build multidomain capabilities while considering more effective ways of sharing knowledge and technology, he said.
Taiwan qualifies as a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, Abe said, calling on Japan, the U.S. and other like-minded partners to assist in expanding the country’s participation in international agencies such as the World Health Organization.
In response, the MOFA said Abe is a highly respected political leader and has spoken in support of Taiwan on many global occasions. The government will continue strengthening cooperation with like-minded friends to safeguard democracy and rule-based order, as well as laying a solid foundation for sustainable prosperity, the ministry added.
Organized by locally based Prospect Foundation, U.S.-headquartered Center for a New American Security and Japan Institute of International Affairs, the event involves high-profile participants such as MOFA Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu and Scott Busby, deputy assistant secretary of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor at the U.S. Department of State.
In a tweet on its official Twitter account, the MOFA said “Watch & read @AbeShinzo’s keynote speech at the #Taiwan, #US, #Japan #IndoPacific Security Dialogue hosted by @ProspectF, @CNASdc & @JIIA_eng. Our gratitude to the former Japan PM for his rock-solid friendship & support.” (YCH-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw