Deputy Foreign Minister Lee urges international community to strengthen...

2023/12/05

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Roy Chun Lee called for like-minded countries to reinforce collaboration with Taiwan and build a powerful and resilient democratic network Nov. 30.

Lee made the remarks during the one-day Taiwan Forum organized by renowned Central and Eastern European think tank GLOBSEC in Bratislava, Slovakia. Other prominent figures joining the meeting included John R. Allen, a retired U.S. Marine Corps four-star general; Bryce Wakefield, national executive director of the Australian Institute of International Affairs; and Mariia Mezentseva, a member of Ukraine’s Parliament.

During his talk entitled “The Evolving Global Security Landscape: Democracies, Autocracies, and Strategic Relationships,” Lee discussed cross-strait relations, regional geopolitical situations, lessons to be learned from the Russia-Ukraine war and the best deterrence strategies.

The deputy minister said that faced with China’s intensifying cognitive warfare and military intimidation, Taiwan has been responding by actively adopting tactics to deter China. Lee went on to say that economic de-risking is critical, adding that Taiwan continues to bolster its competitiveness in a wide array of fields while enhancing financial security and resilience.

According to Lee, Taiwan’s semiconductor industry occupies a central position in global supply chains, making Taiwan a key partner to countries around the world.

As for the upcoming presidential election in Taiwan, China has been attempting to run interference with the intention of changing the status quo to fulfill its so-called “One China principle,” Lee said. Taiwan’s future is for its people to decide, he added.

In response, Allen said that the U.S. will keep helping Taiwan reinforce its self-defense capabilities, adding that joint democratic support of Taiwan is the most powerful deterrent to China.

Wakefield said that Australia continues to back Taiwan on the basis of shared values while promoting cross-strait stability and opposing any unilateral change of the status quo.

Mezentseva expressed her gratitude to Taiwan for its unwavering support for Ukraine and said democracies must unite against authoritarian regimes such as Russia and China to avoid further war from breaking out. 


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