Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan)Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan)

Good morning!

On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I am delighted to attend today’s event.

The MOFA Taiwan Fellowship program was established in 2010 to enable outstanding scholars from around the world to conduct research in Taiwan for up to one year. Over the past 10 years, the Fellowship has been awarded to a total of 934 scholars from 78 countries. The program has helped promote international academic cooperation and build a community of opinion leaders with Taiwan experience. This year, 113 scholars from 41 countries have been carrying out their research in Taiwan. It is encouraging to see such great interest in doing research in Taiwan, and witness the program’s growing global reputation.

The main theme for today’s presentations is “The New Global Situation within the Context of US-China Tensions.” Contrary to China’s official claims, its rise in recent years has not been peaceful at all. This has been acutely felt by its neighbors and other countries in the region. By imposing the National Security Law on Hong Kong, the Chinese Communist Party has seriously shattered Hong Kong’s “one country, two systems” framework and high degree of autonomy. The political re-education camp in Xinjiang had reportedly detained more than one million people. In addition, the ongoing conflict between China and India on border dispute has caused regional tensions. The democratic Taiwan may be the next target; moreover, the Belt and Road Initiative and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank have further signaled China’s ambition to build up a new international order.

Through “Wolf Warrior” Diplomacy, global propaganda efforts, sharp power, and disinformation campaigns, China seeks to pressure, influence, and manipulate countries all over the world. Furthermore, the Beijing government has been conducting aggressive military exercises in the Taiwan Strait and declared that the median line does not exist. In Taiwan, our Mainland policy is guided by such principles as peace, parity, democracy, and dialogue, which are key to productive cross-strait interactions and long-term stable development.

I hope you will enjoy the presentations and be generous in sharing your points of view and comments so as to ensure fruitful and lively discussion.

Dear scholars, I hope you find the people of Taiwan passionate, diligent, and earnest, which are positive traits conveying a subtle but powerful message. I invite you to share your experiences in Taiwan with your friends and family and to serve as a link between Taiwan and your own countries in the future.

In closing, I would like to thank National Chengchi University for helping facilitate the MOFA Taiwan Fellowship program, as many of our scholars choose this university as their host institution in Taiwan. We also owe a debt of gratitude to the National Central Library for the remarkable services they provide to our scholars.

As you can tell, I am passionate about this topic, and I would have loved to join today’s discussions with you. Regretfully, due to my tight schedule, I have to leave after the opening. With that, I thank you all for coming and wish you the best of health and success. Thank you!