President Tsai Ing-wen opened the Ketagalan Forum: 2021 Asia-Pacific Security Dialogue staged virtually Aug. 31 from Taipei City, reaffirming the government’s commitment to working with like-minded partners in advancing regional peace, prosperity and stability.
Rising authoritarianism is creating tension and friction in the Indo-Pacific, Tsai said. Taiwan will continue countering this development by cooperating with neighboring countries in promoting mutually beneficial coexistence and preventing military conflicts in the Taiwan Strait and the East and South China Seas, she added.
According to Tsai, Taiwan’s prowess in sectors like 5G, or next-generation, applications; artificial intelligence; biotech; high-precision manufacturing; renewable energy; and semiconductors helps bolster the resilience of global supply chains while protecting critical technologies from exploitation.
This contribution is complemented by the country’s strength in education, human resources, medicine, natural disaster mitigation and public health, Tsai said, citing local medical facilities’ efforts in sharing experience and know-how with counterparts to improve regional service and treatment standards.
In addition, Taiwan’s effective response to coronavirus and its efforts to boost the global response to the pandemic have been spotlighted on the global stage, Tsai said. This contribution is recognized by timely donations of COVID-19 vaccine doses by like-minded partners such as the Czech Republic, Japan, Lithuania, Slovakia and the U.S., she added.
Drawing upon this spirit of solidarity, Tsai said, the government will keep tackling global challenges by working with fellow forces for good on the foundation of shared values like freedom, democracy and respect for human rights so as to cement the country’s position in the post-pandemic world.
Tsai also took the opportunity to thank Kelly Craft, former U.S. permanent representative to the U.N, for her rock-solid support of Taiwan and participating in the forum as a keynote speaker.
Hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Taipei City-based Prospect Foundation, the daylong forum featured top academics, experts and officials such as MOFA Deputy Minister Tien Chung-kwang; Randall Schriver, chairman of U.S.-headquartered Project 2049 Institute; Karen Makishima, member of the Japanese House of Representatives; Peter Jennings, executive director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute; and Bert Hofman, director of the East Asian Institute at National University of Singapore. (YCH-E)
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