President Tsai speaks at WMD 11th Global Assembly opening ceremony

2022/10/27

President Tsai Ing-wen said Oct. 25 that Taiwan is committed to working with democracies worldwide to strengthen resilience and safeguard shared values through a democratic alliance to serve the international community.
 
Tsai made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the World Movement for Democracy’s 11th Global Assembly held in Taipei City. Co-hosted by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy and the U.S.-based National Endowment for Democracy, the three-day event gathered over 200 advocates from 70 countries, including representatives from Ukraine.
 
Democracies and the rules-based world order currently face the greatest challenges since the Cold War, Tsai said. The democratic world must combat authoritarian regimes’ attempts to tarnish democratic institutions and corrode human rights and civic space, she added.
 
According to Tsai, Taiwan has been subject to increasingly aggressive threats from China, including military intimidation, cyberattacks and economic coercion, as well as gray zone activities and influence operations. However, Taiwan’s people have never shied away from challenges but meet them head-on and fight against forces attempting to undermine the country’s hard-earned democracy, she said.
 
Democracy is more than a fundamental value that unites people but is also a critical asset to address major challenges in Taiwan, Tsai said. The driving force behind the country’s democratic development is civil society, which is involved in the country’s governance to an extent unparalleled in the region, she added.
 
The president lauded the empowerment of young people to contribute to democracy, adding that the assembly is sure to help spur awareness and action among the younger generation.


Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)