Szu-chien Hsu
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of China (Taiwan)
March 26, 2019
(As prepared for Delivery)
Good morning!
It is a great pleasure to attend the opening ceremony of the International Training Workshop on Anti-Corruption in Public and Private Sectors, this is the first workshop in 2019 under the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF). On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I warmly welcome all of the participants from 17 countries.
I would like to first extend my deepest gratitude to the Ministry of Justice's Investigation Bureau for organizing this workshop. I also want to thank our two sponsors—the American Institute in Taiwan, Taipei Office, and the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, Taipei Office—for their invaluable assistance that made possible this meaningful gathering.
Building upon the foundation established by the passage of the Taiwan Relations Act in 1979, Taiwan and the United States have fostered a durable, comprehensive, and mutually beneficial partnership. The GCTF is solid proof of this enduring friendship. Since we jointly established the GCTF in 2015, more than 300 policymakers and experts from around the world have participated in 15 international training programs. These events have covered such issues areas as public health, law enforcement, media literacy, women's empowerment, and energy security. And in a year when we are celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act, there are six more GTCF programs still to come.
We are also delighted to have Japan joining us to cohost this particular workshop. Japan's involvement brings with it the resources to address even more issues of common concern for the region.
Taiwan has striven to eliminate corruption in both the public and private sectors for many decades. Our efforts have earned international recognition, including one of the best rankings among Indo-Pacific countries in Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). Indeed, with so much to share, Taiwan is always seeking to engage in even more anti-corruption and transparency cooperation. Yet according to the CPI in 2018, most countries are failing to effectively control corruption, contributing to a crisis in democracies around the world. Therefore, I hope that by allowing you to share best practices and first-hand information, as well as expanding your personal networks, this workshop can address this issue and serve as an effective platform for tackling corruption.
Once again, I wish this workshop great success, and welcome you all to Taiwan! I hope you'll be able to take some time to experience the beauty of our country and learn more about the culture, people and society of Taiwan. Thank you!