TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — After hearing a briefing by the National Security Council’s (NSC) Ukrainian Status Response Team on Wednesday (Feb. 23), President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) issued four directives to relevant government departments.
The Office of the President issued a press release listing Tsai’s orders, the first of which was to condemn Russia’s infringement of Ukraine’s sovereignty and to call for all parties to resolve conflicts peacefully and rationally. “As a member of the international community, Taiwan is willing to participate in each effort that helps resolve conflicts peacefully.”
Tsai also ordered reinforced military consolidation so that national security and defense departments are ready to respond to all situations surrounding Taiwan and in the Indo-Pacific region. Relevant departments must closely monitor military movements and be ready to issue alerts to ensure national security.
While Taiwan and Ukraine are different in terms of geostrategy, geography, and their role in the international supply chain, forces outside of Taiwan are taking advantage of the Ukraine crisis to manipulate information in an effort to weaken the faith of Taiwan’s citizens, according to Tsai. She said the government must prevent and combat such misinformation.
Tsai instructed her administration to continue to follow fluctuations in international finance and trade, as the Ukraine crisis will affect international and domestic energy, food, and stock markets. The government must work to reduce such effects and stabilize supplies, prices, and the stock and foreign exchange markets.
The Office of the President said the briefing held on Wednesday morning was also attended by Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), Secretary-General to the President David Lee (李大維), NSC Secretary-General Wellington Koo (顧立雄), Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正), Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chiu Tai-san (邱太三), Minister without Portfolio John Deng (鄧振中), National Security Bureau Director General Chen Ming-tong (陳明通), and NSC advisors Fu Tung-cheng (傅棟成) and Chen Chun-lin (陳俊麟).
