Taiwan would “continue to contribute to peace and prosperity around the world,” President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) told the Yushan Forum in Taipei yesterday, adding that the nation plays an indispensable role in the Indo-Pacific region’s development.
The forum organized by the Taiwan Asia Exchange at the Grand Mayfull Hotel Taipei (美福飯店) started yesterday and ends today.
“The New Southbound Policy lies at the core of our Indo-Pacific strategy. Through this, we are sending a message to the world that in the face of the mounting threats of authoritarianism and climate change, as well as a global restructuring of supply chains, Taiwan is a secure and reliable partner,” she said.
Photo: CNA
“Through testing times, Taiwan has stood firm, and we will continue to contribute to peace and prosperity around the world,” she said. “I want everyone concerned with the Indo-Pacific to know that Taiwan is, in no small way, a part of the solution to the challenges facing our region.”
When the WHO declared the end of the COVID-19 pandemic in May, it was the beginning of a new era and many new challenges, Tsai said.
“This year’s forum will initiate conversations on how our region can adapt and prepare for these challenges. I hope our exchanges today can help ... foster more inclusive and resilient growth with our partners,” Tsai said.
Photo: Tu Chien-rong, Taipei Times
“Over the past seven years, we have taken our economic cooperation with New Southbound Policy countries to new heights,” she said.
Trade with New Southbound Policy partners topped US$180 billion last year, including US$96.9 billion in Taiwanese exports, Tsai said, adding that the figures represented increases of 88 percent and 64 percent from 2016 respectively, and were both record highs.
Taiwan has boosted its investments in partners targeted by the policy, with Taiwanese firms cumulatively investing more than US$100 billion in the countries, creating millions of jobs, Tsai said.
Photo: Reuters
Last year, cumulative investment in Taiwan from New Southbound Policy countries amounted to US$2.1 billion, eight times more than in 2016, she said.
Taiwan is building 10 medical centers in seven ASEAN member states, and is seeking use its strengths “to help partner countries in their efforts to develop smart manufacturing and transition into digital economies,” Tsai said.
“With the fast-changing global landscape of recent years, Taiwan has shown remarkable resilience. It has established itself as one of the major contributors to economic prosperity and stability in the region,” she said, adding that the nation’s “strengths in technology and manufacturing have proven to be indispensable in the restructuring of regional and global supply chains.”
Meanwhile former US ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft told the forum that sovereign territorial integrity is a fundamental principle of the international order, and yet “Taiwan’s integrity has been under threat” for some time.
It is “the duty” of nations that respect democracy and are concerned about the preservation of the international order to stand with Taiwan against the threats posed to its security, she said.
Craft expressed deep confidence in the US’ commitment to Taiwan’s defense, saying that she was proud to support Taiwan as a diplomat.
However, Taiwan cannot afford to be complacent, she said, citing the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Hamas’ attack on Israel.
Former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison, who now serves as a lawmaker, said that “Taiwan’s future is uniquely central to global peace and security, and we all understand that that future is under constant threat.”
Morrison urged Taipei to strengthen the nation’s resilience and military capabilities while maintaining the “status quo” to prevent conflict and ensure prosperity in the region.
Taiwan’s democracy is the pride of the region, especially in ensuring an environment of political, economic and religious freedoms that escapes the understanding of Taipei’s counterpart across the Strait, he said before thanking Taiwan for offering aid to other countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additional reporting by CNA
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