November 8, 2023
No. 379
At the invitation of the Latvian Institute of International Affairs (LIIA), Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu delivered a speech at Riga Stradins University (RSU) on November 7. In the speech, entitled “Latvia and Taiwan: On the Road of Democracy,” Minister Wu called for deeper cooperation between the two countries at a time when authoritarianism had become a systemic challenge to the international order.
Minister Wu said that although Latvia and Taiwan were far apart geographically, they had advanced on a similar path of democratization; shared the universal values of freedom, human rights, and the rule of law; and recently faced unprecedented challenges.
He emphasized that the stark difference between democracy and autocracy existed at the core of current international conflicts, with autocracy having become a systemic challenge to the rules-based international order to the extent that the democratic community could no longer turn a blind eye to it.
Minister Wu pointed out that Taiwan had long experienced China’s military provocation, diplomatic isolation, and economic coercion. Although Taiwan had firmly believed that dialogue was the only way to peace, it had to remain pragmatic in the face of risks. He observed that Latvia would officially implement mandatory conscription starting from 2024 and that Taiwan was restoring compulsory military service to one year. He added that Taiwan had also raised its national defense budget to deter authoritarian aggression, as the cost of losing its democratic way of life would be too high to bear.
In extending appreciation for Lativa’s support of Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Organization, Minister Wu thanked members of the Saeima for sending a joint letter to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and then Minister of Health Līga Meņģelsone for speaking up for Taiwan by emphasizing the importance of inclusiveness at the World Health Assembly in May.
Minister Wu also stated that Taiwan had been pleased to explore opportunities to cooperate with democratic partners like Latvia and build mutually beneficial economic partnerships. He noted that the European Union was the largest source of foreign investment in Taiwan and that Taiwan was expanding investment in European industries, including semiconductors, laser technology, and renewable energy. Minister Wu expressed the hope that, with a strong economic network, democracies would strengthen economic resilience and minimize the harm caused by economic coercion from authoritarian countries.
In conclusion, Minister Wu commended Latvia for its unwavering solidarity with Ukraine since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war. He affirmed that Taiwan participated in sanctions against Russia and provided support to Ukraine in cooperation with organizations such as Ziedot of Latvia in the hope that Ukrainians could soon resume their normal way of life. Acknowledging that the freedoms enjoyed by Taiwan and Latvia had not come easily and should be cherished, he emphasized that democratic partners would continue to strive together and prevail through solidarity.
The attending faculty and students showed a high level of interest in Minister Wu’s speech and raised many questions, to which the minister responded. He elaborated on Taiwan’s monetary and in-kind humanitarian donations to Ukraine and its joint efforts with the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Lithuania, and other countries in sheltering Ukrainian refugees and rebuilding schools, among other projects. He also expressed Taiwan’s willingness to provide humanitarian assistance to the Israeli and Palestinian people suffering from the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Middle East. Following the speech, Minister Wu received a warm applause from the audience. (E)