Jaushieh Joseph Wu
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of China (Taiwan)
September 23, 2022
(As Prepared for Delivery)
Ladies and gentlemen:
Bonjour!
Let me begin by thanking the Normandy World Peace Forum for inviting me to participate in this important event. It comes at a crucial moment regionally and globally as authoritarian China seeks to expand beyond the first island chain where Taiwan is right on the front line.
On behalf of the government and people of Taiwan, I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep appreciation to friends around the world—including France, the European Union, and G7—for highlighting the importance of peace and stability over the Taiwan Strait. Your support has touched the hearts of the Taiwanese people, and reassured us that we are not alone in meeting the challenges posed by authoritarianism.
Today, the world is faced with unprecedented crises. Among these, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and China's increasing rhetorical and military provocations in the Indo-Pacific have both jeopardized peace and stability in their respective region.
In addition to military exercises, China has launched continuous cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and economic coercion against Taiwan. China's aggressive actions have posed a grave threat to the status quo and security across the Taiwan Strait, and if not managed, may escalate into a war that will impact upon the rest of the world.
Being bullied and menaced by an authoritarian regime for years, Taiwan sympathizes with Ukraine and its people. Since the early stages of the conflict, Taiwan has joined democratic partners worldwide in condemning the invasion and imposing sanctions against the aggressor. In a spirit of solidarity, Taiwan has also shipped hundreds of tons of medical and humanitarian relief supplies to Ukraine through Slovakia and Poland. We have also provided around 45 million US dollars in financial assistance to help the displaced Ukrainians to resettle in the neighboring countries, and to help Ukrainian cities to rebuild their schools and hospitals.
As a democratic country on the front line of resistance to authoritarianism, Taiwan is inspired by the bravery and tenacity of the Ukrainians. As China attempts to unilaterally change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait by force, I am proud to say that the Taiwanese people are equally determined to defend our country and to fight for freedom.
In facing multiple threats from authoritarian China, Taiwan is also keen to work with our democratic partners to preserve peace and stability in our region and beyond. It is heartening to note that France cares about peace and stability in our region in numerous communiqués following high-level talks. To resonate your actions, on September 15, the European Parliament also passed a resolution on the situation of Taiwan Strait to uphold peace and stability.
Over the past few years, Taiwan-France legislative exchanges have grown substantially. Last year, the French Senate and National Assembly reached milestones in promoting our bilateral friendship, with both chambers passing resolutions to support Taiwan's participation in international organizations. The chairs of their respective Taiwan friendship groups also led delegations to visit Taiwan. And this year, French and EU parliamentarians again visited Taiwan to show their support. The Taiwanese people have been deeply moved by all of these gestures.
I would like to point out that the 77th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations convened last week, with a focus on tackling interconnected crises through joint solutions and solidarity. We could not agree more with this vision, and Taiwan is more than willing to be part of joint solutions. Having been excluded from the United Nations and its specialized agencies, the 23.5 million people of Taiwan look forward to playing an active role at the earliest possible opportunity. In this regard, Taiwan is grateful to EU Member States for expressing support for Taiwan's international participation.
Ladies and gentlemen, the challenges we face today require all hands on deck. I believe that by standing united and upholding our shared values, we can overcome whatever difficulty we may confront with. Taiwan has proved to be a reliable and indispensable partner to the fellow democracies, and the people of Taiwan stand ready to contribute. Let's work together as one for the global good. United we stand; divided we fall.
Merci!