December 14, 2024
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has taken note of a speech delivered by North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Mark Rutte at an event in Brussels on December 12 that was organized by the think tank Carnegie Europe. In his remarks, titled “To Prevent War, NATO Must Spend More,” Secretary General Rutte called on NATO members to shift to a wartime mindset and turbo-charge defense production and defense spending so as to strengthen deterrence and defend their free and democratic way of life.
Secretary General Rutte also urged all parties to be clear-eyed about China’s ambitions, pointing out that China was substantially building up its forces and bullying Taiwan. In the Q&A session following his speech, Secretary General Rutte said that if Russia were to come out on top in any peace negotiations with Ukraine, China would surely be watching and start nibbling Taiwan.
This was the first public speech given by Secretary General Rutte since he assumed the position on October 1. He used the occasion to draw attention to the nature of China’s expansionist actions and ambitions toward Taiwan, as well as to the challenges posed by China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran to global peace and security. Indeed, Secretary General Rutte’s speech was especially meaningful at a time when authoritarian regimes are expanding their ambitions.
Faced with coordinated efforts by authoritarian countries to undermine regional peace and stability and the international order, Taiwan, as a responsible and democratic member of the global community, will continue to work with such like-minded partners as the G7 and NATO in order to jointly safeguard peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and the wider region.