Dr. Lin Chia-lung
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of China (Taiwan)
March 17, 2025
(As Prepared for Delivery)
Ladies and gentlemen:
Good evening!
On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it is my great pleasure to host this dinner for you all. Your participation in the eighth Yushan Forum sends a powerful message of support for democratic Taiwan. Before I begin, I would like to express my appreciation to the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation for co-organizing this event.
As a result of the Yushan Forum, ties among countries and people in the Indo-Pacific have been deepened. The forum is a great platform for dialogue between Taiwan, New Southbound Policy partner countries, and like-minded partners around the world. Our goal is to foster understanding, advance cooperation, and promote coexistence and coprosperity in the region.
Building stronger links with South and Southeast Asian countries has long been one of Taiwan’s key foreign policy directions and economic strategies. In the 1990s, Taiwan introduced the Go South policy to encourage businesses to invest in Southeast Asia. The policy helped boost economic growth in Taiwan and diversify supply chains in the entire region. To deepen ties with ASEAN and South Asian countries, as well as New Zealand and Australia, Taiwan launched the New Southbound Policy in 2016. The initiative has created a sense of economic community through a people-centered approach.
However, in recent years, the world has changed dramatically. COVID-19, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the expansion of authoritarianism, technology competition, and other upheavals have created a shift in the economic world order. This has led to the restructuring of global supply chains. These geopolitical challenges warn us that democracy and the rule of law are vulnerable.
That is the main reason why the theme of this year’s forum emphasizes the New Southbound Policy plus and a new world. In a fluid international situation, Taiwan has quickly taken a fresh stance. Building on President Lai Ching-te’s Smart Nation 2.0 plan and foreign policy vision, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has developed a strategy of integrated diplomacy, which is underpinned by three pillars—alliance diplomacy, economic and trade diplomacy, and values-based diplomacy.
I want to share another aspect of the plus in this year’s theme. In the cyber era, ICT, semiconductors, and AI are technologies that heavily rely on trust. That is why they are called trusted technologies. I take pride in saying that Taiwan’s strength in trusted technologies is no coincidence. Over the decades, Taiwan has earned the trust of its free and democratic partners. It has become a trusted Taiwan with fundamental and strategic importance in cyberspace. Taiwan will never take that trust for granted. We will keep working hard with our partners so that the world will continue to rely on trusted Taiwan to consolidate non-red supply chains. Taiwan also relies on the support of the rest of the democratic world. It stands ready to work with its partners on digital networks, clean digital solutions, and digital solidarity.
Taiwan will further leverage its advantages in ICT and smart manufacturing to promote a digital New Southbound initiative. The plan is based on a public-private partnership model and incorporates cross-domain innovation. It echoes the global trends of net-zero and short supply chains. These are issues for both the government and the corporate sector. Taiwan will continue to promote a Taiwan+n model, building partnerships based on Taiwan’s good practices and experiences. We hope to incorporate capital, talent, and technology at home and abroad to adopt a local-for-local approach, creating total services with global partner countries.
The sessions before dinner focused on related emerging issues. I think that you found this was a good topic for discussion. Furthermore, with our clear policy direction, I look forward to the prospects that our Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project will bring to New Southbound Policy partner countries and beyond.
As President Lai and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim mentioned earlier, this year’s Yushan Forum has unveiled a new Taiwan and outlined a fresh vision for the region. During today’s meeting, outstanding leaders and experts from the Indo-Pacific and Europe shared best practices and knowledge in the fields of smart solutions, smart health care, chip supply chain resilience, and smart transportation. These are key areas where Taiwan’s technological advantages can contribute to the entire region and the rest of the world.
Taiwan is a beacon for democracy in the Indo-Pacific and a force for good around the globe. We are determined to defend our position on the front lines of freedom. I believe that together we will enhance resilience to hybrid challenges, safeguard our shared values and interests, and make our democratic way of life more sustainable.
I would like to attribute the success of today’s discussion to my fellow ministers and colleagues from the National Development Council, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Economic Affairs, National Science and Technology Council, and Ministry of Transportation and Communications.
Before I exhaust your patience with my remarks, I want to introduce you to tonight’s keynote speaker. Ms. Anna Fotyga is a former foreign minister of Poland. She has also served as a member of the European Parliament and the head of the Office of the President of Poland. She is one of our closest friends and a strong supporter of democracy worldwide. We cherish the opportunity to have such an esteemed leader share her views and expertise with us.
Once again, we truly appreciate your participation in the Yushan Forum and your support for Taiwan. Thank you.