TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan stands against expanding authoritarianism, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said in opening remarks at the Forum for Democratic Cooperation on Wednesday.
Taiwan is “not a society terrorized by fear,” Lin said, but a nation that remains open, democratic, and resilient. He said Taiwan is directly affected by current geopolitical tensions.
As a “vibrant democracy” located in the first island chain, Taiwan serves as a front line for global democratic resilience, Lin said. For decades, Taiwanese have faced “military intimidation, relentless cyberattacks, diplomatic isolation, and cognitive warfare,” he said.
The foreign minister said that “democracy in Taiwan is not merely a political system; It’s our way of life.” “We have shown that democracy is not a weakness,” he said.
Today, Taiwan plays a major role in connecting democratic partners in the Indo-Pacific with those in Europe and North America, Lin said. He stressed that any conflict in the Taiwan Strait would be disastrous for the global economy, noting that the majority of the world’s semiconductors are produced in Taiwan.
“Supply chain security is now equivalent to national security,” he said. Therefore, establishing trustworthy tech ecosystems and non-Chinese supply chains are pillars of democracy, he added.
Lin said Taiwan is ready to work with international partners to ensure emerging technologies are used to empower freedom rather than enable authoritarian expansion.
