President Tsai calls for democratic unity at TFD international conference

2023/07/20

President Tsai Ing-wen called on democratic countries around the world to unite to safeguard shared values and the rules-based international order.
 
She made remarks during a forum celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy July 18 in Taipei City. Other prominent attendees included Legislative Yuan President You Si-kun, who also serves as the chair of TFD, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Jaushieh Wu, who is TFD’s vice chair, the Presidential Office said.
 
Tsai said the event is a time for not just celebration but also reflection on the past, present, and future of democracy. The 20th century saw the third wave of democratization spread across Europe, Latin America and Asia, demonstrating the premium the global populace places on democratic values and human rights, she added.
 
The democratic transition was hard come by in Taiwan, achieved only through suffering and sacrifice, Tsai said, adding that democratic ideals are both a unifying force in the country and an integral part of the people’s common identity.
 
According to the president, democracy and the international rules-based order are facing the toughest challenge since the Cold War due to authoritarian expansion. Taiwan has been facing intensifying military threats, economic coercion, cyberattacks and disinformation in recent years, she said.
 
While authoritarian regimes use manipulation and “sharp power,” a term coined by U.S.-based National Endowment for Democracy in a 2017 report, to weaken democracy, democratic allies must collaborate to counter such threats, Tsai added.
 
The president took the opportunity to express gratitude to Carl Gershman, who founded NED in 1983, adding that his persistent advocacy enabled the establishment of TFD. Tsai also thanked NED President Damon Wilson for bringing the World Movement for Democracy's Global Assembly to Taiwan last year.
 
Following her speech, the president was awarded a Democracy Service Medal by Wilson.


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