MOFA Minister Wu urges democratic world to unite against authoritarian expansion

2022/11/11

The free world must unite to curb authoritarianism expansion, Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu said Nov. 8.
 
The rules-based international order is under serious threat, Wu said, citing China’s military exercises in early August and its ongoing cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and economic coercion.
 
Wu made the remarks via video link during the fifth Taiwan Trilateral Forum held in Brussels.
 
According to Wu, the evolving situation following Beijing’s 20th Party Congress is concerning. The government will continue strengthening Taiwan’s self-defense, particularly asymmetric capabilities, while working with the U.S. to boost deterrence, he added.
 
Taiwan is not the only target of China’s expansion, Wu said, citing Beijing’s interests in the East China Sea, South China Sea and Pacific. China is also exercising influence in Africa and Latin America and weaponizing trade for its political and diplomatic objectives in Taiwan, Australia, Canada and Lithuania, he added.
 
Like Ukraine, Taiwan is right on the front line of the tug-of-war between democracy and authoritarianism, Wu said. The two are now interconnected, and further actions taken by Russia and China must be stopped, he added.
 
Wu also took the opportunity to commend the EU and European countries for adopting strategies to connect Europe and Asia. Taiwan will continue working with like-minded partners to enhance the rules-based international order and safeguard shared values and interests, he said.
 
“If democracies want to prevail, the only path forward is to stand in solidarity with one another,” Wu added.
 
Established by Washington-based think tank German Marshall Fund of the United States and Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the U.S. in 2018, the forum facilitates discussion on how Taiwan can contribute to the international community, as well as peace and security in Asia. It enables candid conversation by bringing together policymakers, intellectuals, media outlets and business voices from Taiwan, Europe and the U.S. 


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