Tsai addresses Copenhagen Democracy Summit

2023/05/17

President Tsai Ing-wen emphasized Taiwan’s commitment to democracy and urged like-minded countries worldwide to work together to make each other stronger in a special address delivered May 15 to the Copenhagen Democracy Summit.
 
According to Tsai, authoritarian regimes pose an increasing threat to the global community through their use of influence operations and cognitive warfare. She used the Chinese Communist Party’s intensification of both economic and political coercive measures against dissidents and the sanctions it has imposed on democratic advocates and institutions to support her call to stand unified as a deterrent to such aggressive behavior.
 
Taiwan is a front-line state that has countered totalitarianism for decades, Tsai said. Its vibrancy bears testament to what a determined democratic country with good governance can achieve, she added. The country also continues to make significant contributions to the world, the president said, citing its donation to Türkiye after the devastating earthquake in February and its assistance to displaced Ukrainians.
 
Tsai said support for Taiwan from around the world is growing stronger. Several delegations comprising academics, government officials and parliamentarians from Czechia, France, the U.K. and other European countries visited Taiwan earlier this year, demonstrating that the people of Taiwan are not isolated, she added.
 
Tsai also took the opportunity to thank European leaders like the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis for making statements opposing military aggression and voicing support for cross-strait peace. Backing from EU member states for Taiwan’s participation in international organizations like the World Health Assembly is also deeply appreciated, she said.
 
The president concluded her address by saying that democracy is the only lasting path forward and calling for the world to stand together in the fight against authoritarian expansion.
 
Organized by the Denmark-headquartered Alliance of Democracies, the sixth edition of the annual event was held in person and virtually May 15-16. The nongovernmental organization was founded in 2017 by Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former Danish prime minister and secretary-general of NATO.
 
Other high-profile participants included Czech President Petr Pavel, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, former U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss and former U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi. 


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