Democracies around the world must form a coalition to safeguard shared values from authoritarian threats, Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu said in a video address at the Global Taiwan Institute Annual Symposium Sept. 15 in Washington.
According to Wu, authoritarian states are waging ideological warfare against democracy. This is a war that no democracy can afford to lose, he added.
Taiwan is on the front line of the confrontation between democracies and authoritarianism, Wu said. By serving as a sea fortress against expansionism into the wider Pacific, the country is key to regional and global security, he added.
Taiwan is working closely with the U.S. to enhance the resilience of global supply chains, as evidenced by the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement council meeting earlier this year, which highlighted the commitment of the like-minded partners to promoting economic cooperation while laying the groundwork for future talks on a bilateral trade agreement, Wu said.
Close Taiwan-U.S. ties are vital to peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, the minister said, adding the government will continue to advance bilateral relations with this in mind.
Wu also took the opportunity to thank the U.S. for its leadership role in the face of concerted authoritarian aggression through reengaging with multilateral and international institutions, as well as voicing support for Lithuania’s decision to deepen relations with Taiwan.
GTI, established in 2016 in the U.S. capital, is a think tank aiming to promote greater understanding of Taiwan and its people through targeted policy research and engagement programs. (DL-E)
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