Jaushieh Joseph Wu
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of China (Taiwan)
November 8, 2022
(As Prepared for Delivery)
I. Introduction
Thank you, Bonnie, for that kind introduction, and for inviting me to speak at the forum today. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Marshall Plan and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the German Marshall Fund. Considering these milestones, I want to take this opportunity to thank the GMF for hosting this forum every year since 2018 and for giving us a platform to share our experiences with like-minded partners. I believe that conversations like these embody the inclusive and altruistic spirit of the Marshall Plan.
Despite Beijing’s frequent attempts to close off our access to international fora, the GMF has worked tirelessly for the past five years to welcome Taiwanese voices into the transatlantic conversation, which we very much appreciate. There is one thing I know for certain: with the support of our friends and allies, Taiwan cannot be silenced. We will keep on speaking out to defend our democracy, our values, and our ideals.
II. The threat of authoritarianism is at our doorstep
Dear friends, we find ourselves at a critical point in history. Over half a century ago, we established the rules-based international order, which lies at the core of our collective peace and security. We are now facing changing circumstances. That order is under threat. We see this with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting humanitarian crisis. We see this with China’s brutal repression of Tibet, ethnic cleansing in Xinjiang, silencing of dissent in Hong Kong, and continuous military threats in the Taiwan Strait and South and East China Seas. These developments show that authoritarian states are in action. Next on their agenda is asserting world dominance.
III. Taiwan and Europe are both on the front lines against authoritarianism
Amid the expansion of authoritarianism, our world is confronted with a choice: a choice between democracy and autocracy. This battle continues to play out painfully and slowly in the Russia-Ukraine war. As the conflict drags on, surrounding European countries are experiencing inflation, social instability, and food and energy shortages. Europe is directly suffering from the cruelty of authoritarianism.
The clash between democracy and autocracy places Taiwan at a critical juncture. We went through a decades-long process of democratization and had to fight every step of the way for our hard-earned democracy. Having experienced that struggle, the Taiwanese people truly understand how precious freedom and democracy are; and we are determined to defend them. I stress this because Taiwan’s giant neighbor is continually trying to take away our democracy.
Let me put it this way: both Europe and Taiwan are standing on the front lines against authoritarianism. It is an ongoing battle that no democracy can avoid. We have to fight for the peace and prosperity that we built together.
IV. China’s intimidation of Taiwan
We have witnessed the scale of suffering that Russia is inflicting on Ukraine. In the meantime, China is flexing its muscles in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. In early August, the PRC tried to intimidate Taiwan with missile tests and large-scale air and sea exercises. Many of its aircraft and vessels crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, which is a key symbol of the status quo. There were also cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and economic coercion. Quite simply, the PLA was practicing its playbook for a future invasion of Taiwan.
Even though the Chinese government announced it was ending its military exercises, its saber-rattling has not stopped. The PLA still engages in routine air and sea drills around Taiwan, slowly inching closer to Taiwanese territory. These gray-zone tactics are part of China’s attempt to establish a “new normal” and force Taiwan to submit to its autocratic rule, which has increased regional tensions and instability.
We all like to think that China will eventually come to its senses. However, at China’s 20th National Congress, Xi Jinping not only reshuffled his military leadership but also packed the CCP standing committee with his most loyal allies, with no clear successor in sight. Xi Jinping is only likely to become more autocratic, more isolationist, and more combative. He even clearly said, and I quote, “China will not give up its right to use force over Taiwan.”
V. China’s ambition extends way beyond Taiwan
Authoritarian expansion is not new. If we dial the clock back to 2014, when Vladimir Putin annexed Crimea, we hesitated to act. We asked ourselves: Would Putin stop at Crimea? Who would be next? In 2020, when China cracked down on Hong Kong, we also hesitated to act. We asked ourselves again: Would Hong Kong be the last victim? Who would be next? Now Ukraine is on fire, threatening Europe. Now the PRC is ramping up the pressure on Taiwan, threatening Asia. Soon, the whole world will be under threat.
What’s more, we have already seen signs of Chinese expansion in the Indian Ocean. Through the Belt and Road Initiative, China has secured naval ports in Cambodia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and all the way to Djibouti in the Horn of Africa. I could also go on to talk about Chinese influence in Latin America.
China is willing to resort to coercive economic measures to force European countries to submit to its will. Lithuania was the most recent example. When Lithuania extended Taiwan a hand of friendship, how did China respond? With aggressive, retaliatory, all-encompassing sanctions. The Chinese even pettily sanctioned European products containing Lithuanian ingredients, which affected the whole of Europe.
Fortunately, Taiwan was able to work with the United States and Europe to assist Lithuania in riding out the storm. But how can we be sure that the next crisis will pan out in the same way? Are we going to let China coerce other countries into submission? Will we allow China to create its own rules and force us to obey?
Despite these abuses of power, China still tries to convince the EU that it is not expansionist; that it is only interested in Taiwan. Having watched the war in Ukraine closely, China knows that Europe is capable of uniting under a common cause. They do not want that. Right now, the CCP needs the EU to feel unthreatened, so that it will not stand in the way of China’s expansion. As bold as China is, the force of a united democratic front is a force to be reckoned with.
VI. Conclusion: Democratic countries must stand together
We cannot afford to hesitate; we need to act. One thing that COVID has taught us is that when you start seeing symptoms, you need to move fast. History has also taught us the same thing. If we falter and allow authoritarianism to expand, it will metastasize into a larger challenge. Before you know it, the problem will have become global. When that happens, we will have to pay a far heavier price. We will have to make greater sacrifices to put a stop to the crisis. The tumor-like spread of authoritarianism will not be halted until we take decisive action.
Ladies and gentlemen, in these past few years, the world has become a very different place. Russia and China have not only rapidly expanded their authoritarian influence abroad; they have also been jointly advancing their agenda in the United Nations, on the economic front, and in other areas. In this new geopolitical landscape, we are running out of options. Democracy as a whole is under assault.
As the alliance of authoritarian regimes attempts to divide and conquer us, the only choice left open is to work together. We must keep up the momentum and continue to push back against the expansion of authoritarianism, not just in Europe but in the Indo-Pacific and all over the world. Democracies must cooperate to strengthen our shared values so that we can maintain collective resilience. Together, we will safeguard the foundations of a free, open, prosperous, and secure international order.
Before I close here, I would like to stress that democratic values are part of the Taiwanese DNA, as they are for both Americans and Europeans. I continue to have strong faith in our democracy. By working together, democracy will prevail and our countries will prevail. Thank you very much.