Dr. Ming-Yen Tsai
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of China (Taiwan)
December 7, 2022
(As Prepared for Delivery)
Greetings!
I am delighted to join you today for the 2022 Global Cooperation and Training Framework Joint Committee Meeting. This is the first time that Australia has hosted the meeting, and it is my first time to participate. I hope that these firsts will lead to many more as together we seek opportunities to deepen and expand our partnership.
On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I would like to extend special thanks to the Australian Office. Just last year, Australia became a full GCTF partner. The Australian Office demonstrates strong initiative by taking the lead in hosting today's meeting. I would also like to express appreciation to the American Institute in Taiwan and the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association for their leadership and tireless support. Without their efforts, the significant milestones we have already achieved would not have been possible.
The GCTF has grown significantly since its establishment in 2015. What began as a bilateral framework between Taiwan and the United States has transformed into a global platform. This collective mechanism also facilitates Taiwan's meaningful contributions to the international community, allowing Taiwan to share its strengths and expertise. Recent challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain reshuffling, have made the GCTF more relevant than ever.
Taiwan was pleased to welcome an increasing number of like-minded partners as event cohosts in Taipei. These included Canada, the European Union, Israel, the Netherlands, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom.
Thanks to joint efforts, the GCTF is also making headway abroad. In October, we successfully cohosted Japan's first GCTF workshop on sustainable oceans in Tokyo. Our global reach further expanded this year through the GCTF franchise model, with events in India, Israel, and Saint Lucia.
Today, we are honored to have representatives from Taiwan's specialized agencies present on priority areas of cooperation for 2023. Their extensive experience and insights are sure to inspire fruitful discussions.
The world is facing increasingly urgent and complex challenges. Moving forward, it will be vital to work closely with our partners in the Indo-Pacific and beyond, while continuing to safeguard democracy, freedom, and prosperity. I wish today's meeting every success. Thank you!