Tien, Chung-kwang
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of China (Taiwan)
June 8, 2022
(As Prepared for Delivery)
Good afternoon!
On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan), I am delighted to attend today's event and provide opening remarks.
The MOFA Taiwan Fellowship program was established in 2010. The scheme aims to assist outstanding scholars from around the world to pursue advanced studies and conduct research in Taiwan. Over the past 12 years, 1,214 scholars from 87 countries have been awarded a fellowship and gone on to conduct research on critical issues concerning Taiwan and the Asia-Pacific region. The program has helped promote international academic cooperation and built a community of opinion leaders who understand and support Taiwan. This year, 97 scholars have been awarded a fellowship to carry out research in Taiwan. It is heartening to see such great interest in the program and witness its rising global reputation. I look forward to the fruitful research results that our new scholars go on to share with us during their stay in Taiwan.
The theme of today's presentations is the Ukraine-Russia crisis and regional security issues. Global democratic development and regional security are currently being challenged by the expansion of authoritarianism. Russia's invasion of Ukraine and forced occupation of its territory have jeopardized regional and global peace and stability. Meanwhile, China continues to undermine the rules-based international system. In particular, it has behaved belligerently toward Taiwan by threatening the use of military force, spreading disinformation, and attempting to sabotage Taiwan's relations with other countries. Furthermore, China's expansion in the South and East China Seas and the South Pacific has shown its aggressive ambitions with regard to the entire region. Authoritarian expansionism poses serious threats and challenges to the rules-based international order and our system of international laws that maintains and protects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries.
Taiwan plays a vital role based on its geostrategic position in the first island chain, key to be a strategic pivot to the East Asia region. We are also an indispensable global partner on climate change, renewable energy and global supply chain, especially in the semiconductor industries. As we know, maintaining peace and stability across the strait is not just a interest for Taiwan; it is a matter international concern. At the same time, Taiwan is fully committed to working with other regional actors to ensure stability. Taiwan has also launched a series of initiatives to modernize and reorganize its military. As the international community becomes more aware of China's aggressive and assertive aspirations, Taiwan continues to stand on the front line in defending democracy from the expansion of authoritarianism. Taiwan is a reliable and democratic partner in the Indo-Pacific region. Going forward, we hope to continue to deepen and broaden cooperation with like-minded countries so as to safeguard such common values as democracy, freedom, and human rights.
Since the Ukraine crisis erupted, people around the world have shown their support and provided assistance to those suffering in Ukraine. Taiwan has also offered a helping hand. A total of 582 tons of humanitarian aid destined for Ukrainian refugees has already been shipped out to Poland and Slovakia. This follows monetary donations from the public that exceeded 940 million NT dollars—around 33 million US dollars. The people of Taiwan admire how the Ukrainians are defending their country through a whole-of-society approach. And the Taiwanese empathize with the Ukrainians' determination to safeguard democracy and freedom. Taiwan has joined with many other democratic countries to condemn Russia's invasion and implement economic sanctions, showing how democratic alliances can work together in combating authoritarianism.
In closing, I am delighted that MOFA Taiwan Fellowship scholars, participants from Taiwanese universities, and new diplomatic recruits are all joining today's discussion to share perspectives, exchange valuable opinions, and discuss potential solutions to the issues at hand.
Thank you all for coming, and thank you especially to the staff of the National Central Library for the remarkable services they provide to our scholars. I wish this event every success and the best of health to all. Let's hope the pandemic abates as swiftly as possible so that we can gather together again during future events. Thank you!