President Tsai meets delegation led by Alliance of Democracies Foundation Chairman Anders Fogh Rasmussen
On the morning of January 4, President Tsai Ing-wen met with a delegation led by Chairman of the Alliance of Democracies Foundation Anders Fogh Rasmussen. In remarks, President Tsai said that Taiwan stands on the frontline of defending democracy and will continue to cooperate with democratic allies to safeguard peace, security, and stability throughout the Indo-Pacific region. The president also stated that Taiwan will continue to do its utmost in service of freedom and democracy in the world.
A translation of President Tsai's remarks follows:
Welcome to the Presidential Office. Although this is my first time meeting Chairman Rasmussen, I feel that we already know each other very well.
I want to thank Chairman Rasmussen for inviting me to participate in the Copenhagen Democracy Summit in each of the past three years. In these meetings, I shared Taiwan's democratic experience. Alongside leaders of like-minded countries, I urged democratic allies around the world to strengthen cooperation in response to the challenges of authoritarianism.
Chairman Rasmussen last visited Taiwan in 1994. In the three decades since, Taiwan has gone through momentous changes. It has made tremendous progress in democratic development and created economic prosperity. Owing to the solidarity of the Taiwanese people, we have forged a resilient and dynamic civil society. Chairman Rasmussen, I believe that through this visit, you will witness Taiwan's development and gain an even deeper appreciation of the Taiwanese people's commitment to freedom and democracy. These values embody our way of life.
Like many other successful democratic countries, Taiwan once experienced authoritarian rule. We understand very well that democracy and freedom do not come easily and should not be taken for granted. Indeed, this only makes us value such precious assets all the more.
Taiwan stands on the frontline of defending global democracy in the face of unceasing authoritarian expansionism. Last week, we announced our military force realignment plan. Going forward, we will continue to increase our overall national defense capabilities and cooperate with more democratic allies to safeguard peace, security, and stability throughout the Indo-Pacific.
In closing, I want to welcome our distinguished guests once again and thank you for your support of democratic Taiwan. We will continue to do our utmost in service of freedom and democracy in the world. I wish you all a fruitful visit to Taiwan.
Chairman Rasmussen then delivered remarks, a transcript of which follows:
Madam President, thank you very much for your kind words of welcome. It's a great pleasure for me to visit Taiwan. I would like to thank you and your government very much for your hospitality, which included a welcome dinner last night hosted by Foreign Minister [Joseph] Wu (吳釗燮). Madam President, I'm here in Taiwan to show my strong support for your right to decide the future of Taiwan, yourself. I'm here to show my strong support for your right to exist in freedom and peace. And I'm here to discuss how we can further strengthen the bonds between Taiwan and Europe.
Five years ago, I established the Alliance of Democracies Foundation. The purpose of the foundation is to work for and strengthen cooperation between the world's democracies. We need to strengthen our fight against, or our attempts to counter, the advancing autocracies. The world's democracies represent 60 percent of the global economy. If we can work together, then we are representing a formidable force that will create respect in Beijing and other capitals of autocratic nations.
Today, Taiwan is a solid democracy that belongs to the family of the world's democracies. When I last visited Taiwan back in 1994, Taiwan had started the transition into democracy, and today I'm very impressed by the democratic credentials. Today, Taiwan stands as a beacon of liberty.
Therefore, I'm very pleased, Madam President, that you have addressed the annual Copenhagen Democracy Summit in three consecutive years. And we would be very pleased to listen to your wise words of wisdom, Madam President, at this year's Copenhagen Summit, as well.
I agree with you, Madam President, we cannot take freedom and democracy for granted. We have to work hard to ensure that freedom and democracy will prevail. But I strongly believe that freedom is the strongest force on earth. The right to decide your own life stimulates creativity in our society. The right to question established dogmas creates progress. The right to speak against those in power creates a more efficient and more transparent government.
That's why, Madam President, I'm so pleased to be here to discuss with you how we can further strengthen freedom as a force for good in the world. I look forward to our discussions.