Tien, Chung-kwang
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of China (Taiwan)
November 26, 2021
(As Delivered)
Good morning!
It is an honor to be invited to speak with you today. On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan), I would like to extend my appreciation to President Kuan and Dr. Su for your invitation.
Before I give my opening remarks, I would like to take a few minutes to recognize Taiwan's true friend, Director Oudkirk. I recall the first time we met was at a virtual meeting held by the Heritage Foundation in April while Sandra was the Deputy Assistant Secretary in charge of Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands at the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs of U.S. State Department. Few months later, we are delighted to have Director Oudkirk back to Taiwan as Taiwan was her first overseas assignment since joining the foreign services in 1991. Besides her daily duty, she also actively experiences our local food and culture such as learning local ways of cheering during games, having classic ballpark snacks and beef noodles at Taoyuan Stadium and participating in Zhongyuan Pudu ritual with beer and various dishes during the Ghost Month. I am sure Director Oudkirk will have more chances to know more about our local life and make more friends in Taiwan.
Over the past few years, the international political, military and economic dynamics have continued to evolve rapidly. We continue to face numerous traditional and nontraditional security threats every single day, the major ones including the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, persistent threat of authoritarianism to democracy and freedom around the world, existing threats from international terrorism, all manner of threat worldwide brought by climate change, challenges to the restructuring of global supply chains, cybersecurity, and disinformation warfare. This is the real world we are living in. If we didn't handle these above-mentioned threats well, we could have devastating effects on international security and global economy.
The Indo-Pacific region is the world's fastest-growing region and has become a global strategic and diplomatic center. Its course in many ways has shaped and will continue to shape the course of the 21st century. Its emergence has brought the geopolitical rivalries, new tensions and systemic contradictions. The US-China competition, South China Sea disputes, security issues across the Taiwan Strait, India-China border conflicts, and tension in Australia-China relations, among other issues, have become a focus of international attention.
The US-China competition is not only a confrontation between the two countries but a contest of global values between democracy and authoritarianism. China's belligerent actions across the Taiwan Strait, East China Sea, South China Sea, Xinjiang, and Hong Kong; lack of transparency as regards the origin of COVID-19; wolf-warrior diplomacy; and other factors have led to growing friction between China and many democracies around the world. The international community has repeatedly expressed concern over Beijing's continuous intimidation against the region and the world.
In this international political landscape, we can see the regional main actors' firm positions on fighting for democracy and defending against authoritarianism. The US withdrawal of troop in Afghanistan indicates shifting its strategic priorities to and reinforcing its deterrence in the Indo-Pacific. In President Biden's recent virtual meeting with President Xi, he reiterated the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific. What's more, the US has just announced that President Biden will host the Summit for Democracy in December and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the US for inviting Taiwan.
Japan has played an even more active leadership role and become more outspoken in recent years. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has emphasized his intention to strategically promote the realization of a free and open Indo-Pacific since taking office recently. India's apparent unmooring from the concepts of non-alignment and strategic autonomy indicates that India has taken more responsibilities in regional affairs.
In addition, we can also see a trans-Pacific alliance of democracies gradually taking shape and a renewed transatlantic partnership. The resurgence of the Quad is a striking example of democracies coming closer. The G7 Summit, NATO Summit, and US-EU Summit, the announcement by Australia, the United Kingdom, and the US of the formation of AUKUS, Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations, etc also demonstrated a united desire for a world anchored by democratic values and unconstrained by coercion. I hope these regimes leave open the possibility for more participants and Taiwan should be included in some form in the near future.
Taiwan has fought against tremendous challenges and threats from China for decades. Particularly over the past few years, China has stepped up its rhetorical assault and military intimidation against Taiwan. The security across the Taiwan Strait has become a focus of global concern and we appreciate there is the growing support for democratic Taiwan in the international arena.
Why Taiwan matters? Taiwan is of critical strategic importance to the world. Taiwan is situated in the middle of the first island chain in the West Pacific, a crucial geographical position to contain China's spread of authoritarianism. Taiwan is a key partner in the global ICT industry, especially in the supply chain of semiconductor.
Taiwan stands on the frontline to safeguard democracy and freedom with great determination. Taiwan is able and willing to share our experiences with democratic partners. As a force for good, Taiwan will continue to make contributions and play a crucial role in the peace development and prosperity of our region and the world.
In closing, once again thank you, President Kuan and Dr. Su for the invitation to speak. I am certain there will be quite a number of productive discussions today. I wish you all a successful seminar.