Jaushieh Joseph Wu
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of China (Taiwan)
October 28, 2020
(As Prepared for Delivery)
Greetings!
It is my pleasure to speak at the second U.S.-Taiwan Consultations on Democratic Governance in the Indo-Pacific region.
I want to express first my appreciation for Brent and his great team at the AIT, as well as representatives joining us today from the Taiwan Foundation of Democracy, IRI, NDI and other civil society organizations for your participation today.
Last year, I was proud to launch this new annual dialogue, together with Director Christensen and Deputy Assistant Secretary Busby. It was an important milestone for the Taiwan-U.S. partnership in advancing democracy, transparency, human rights, and good governance.
This year, I am grateful to see even greater U.S. commitment to this Consultations. Our two sides had a fruitful in-person meeting on September 18, when Assistant Secretary Robert Destro and Ambassador Kelley Currie visited Taiwan. We discussed extensively how Taiwan and the U.S. should continue to intensify cooperation on promoting freedom, democracy, women empowerment and good governance in the Indo-Pacific region.
Last year, Brent mentioned in his remarks that the Consultations aims at promoting Taiwan as a model of good governance for the entire region. It is gratifying to see that, a year later, the effectiveness of Taiwan Model has stood the test of one of the major challenges in modern history. In our fight against COVID-19, Taiwan has shown the world that transparency is the key to successfully containing the pandemic. Our success story underlines the fact that transparency not only leads to economic and social prosperity, but also saves life in critical times.
Today, Taiwan stands firm as a bulwark for freedom and democracy against the expansion of authoritarianism. China has never ceased its attempts to threaten Taiwan's sovereignty and democracy. They have sought to undermine our government institutions through disinformation campaigns and influence operations. PLA fighter jets repeatedly crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and intruded into our Air Defense Identification Zone. These destabilizing provocations, targeting Taiwan as only its first stop, are sure to grow and expand to the entire region and beyond.
Let me be clear, the people of Taiwan will never give up our democratic way of life. We are determined to defend ourselves, just as we are determined to speak up for those longing for freedom, democracy and the protection of human rights. Whether it be the situation in Hong Kong, the plight of Uighurs in Xinjiang, or the persecution of Christians in China, I won't hesitate to call out these crimes against humanity.
I would like to remind you that in the very beginning of the spread of novel coronavirus, it was vigilance and advance preparedness that prevented Taiwan from large-scale transmissions. Past experience taught us well, perhaps too well, about the heavy price that comes with neglect and indecision in the face of destructive forces from the other side of the strait.
As we once again find ourselves at the frontline, this time fending off authoritarian aggression, I call on all democratic allies and partners to exercise the same vigilance and proactive preparation in unity. Meanwhile, you can rest assured of our resolution to safeguard our sovereignty and our shared values, because we know that as the outpost of democracy, Taiwan plays a key role in deciding whether democracy prevails or perishes.
We know we are not alone in this battle. We deeply appreciate the staunch support of the United States. Time and again, the U.S. has demonstrated its commitment to Taiwan as we work to pursue the peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region, and I have every confidence that such aspiration will be further echoed in the region and beyond.
Once again, thank you all for taking part in this year's Consultations, and I look forward to achieving more milestones with you on the path toward joint prosperity of the Indo-Pacific. Thank you!