Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

On the morning of May 30, President Tsai Ing-wen met a delegation of members from the Center for Asia-Pacific Resilience and Innovation (CAPRI). In remarks, President Tsai said that CAPRI, the first international think tank established in Taiwan, is a boost that Taiwan very much needs right now. The president also said that we are delighted to see CAPRI building a global network to further deepen Taiwan's connections with the world, adding that, through public policy research and discussion, CAPRI can help bring Taiwan's perspective and voice to the international stage.

A translation of President Tsai's remarks follows:

I would like to begin by welcoming Chair Malcolm Turnbull, former prime minister of Australia, and the other members of CAPRI to the Presidential Office. You are all key leaders of your respective fields around the world. It is a great pleasure to meet with you. 

CAPRI was founded in May last year. It is the first international think tank established in Taiwan. With your efforts, CAPRI not only strives to address key global issues but also builds partnerships with important research institutes worldwide, such as the Brookings Institution.

Here, I would like to express special appreciation to Chair Syaru Shirley Lin (林夏如) for her tireless efforts in establishing CAPRI and bringing greater attention to global affairs.

I know that CAPRI held its first annual meeting and forum yesterday. The attending leaders, experts, and civil society groups from various fields discussed the challenges faced by the international community and explored innovative governance solutions. I want to congratulate you on the success of the forum. I also thank CAPRI for taking the initiative to organize events that increase Taiwan's visibility internationally and strengthen our resilience to the challenges we confront.

Over the past few years, the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine have made us more acutely aware of the importance of international solidarity and cooperation in facing challenges. The crucial role that Taiwan plays on the global stage has also become more evident.

The establishment of CAPRI is a boost that Taiwan very much needs right now. We are delighted to see CAPRI building a global network to further deepen Taiwan's connections with the world. Through public policy research and discussion, you help bring Taiwan's perspective and voice to the international stage.

In closing, I once again thank you for your attention and your contributions to issues that affect Taiwan and the world. I also hope that, with your participation and the influence that you wield, we can work together to advance regional prosperity and development.

Chair Turnbull then delivered remarks, thanking the president on behalf of CAPRI for the welcome, the hospitality, and the engagement they have enjoyed since their arrival in Taipei. Chair Turnbull said that he believes it is more important than ever that the democracies in our region and democracies all around the world work closely together. He added that while we do not need a reminder of the importance of the solidarity of democracies, it has been underlined by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

Chair Turnbull stated that all countries face similar challenges. He said that, as Acer Inc. co-founder Stan Shih (施振榮) is well aware, while business is always global, and businesses pay close attention to what is happening in other markets, all too often, public policy is much more parochially and locally focused.

Chair Turnbull said that too often countries in our region are focused on the capitals in Washington and Beijing, rather than talking and engaging with each other. That is why, he explained, when he was prime minister of Australia, he would often talk about the importance of looking at security not as simply a series of spokes going into the central hubs, but as more of a mesh, bringing together all of the like-minded democracies in our region and working more closely and engaging with each other.

Chair Turnbull said that CAPRI's Asia-Pacific focus speaks to that need for a greater cooperation between countries in our region in these important public policy areas. In this respect, he noted the contributions of CAPRI Chair Lin, as CAPRI offers the opportunity for the world and our region in particular to hear more from Taiwan. He underlined Taiwan's extraordinary achievements of resilience, its leadership in many vital areas of technology, and the fact that the modern digital world in which we live is being built and maintained here in Taiwan. CAPRI, he said, will be able to help connect and relate Taiwan's stories with the experiences of other countries in our region.

In closing, Chair Turnbull thanked President Tsai again for the welcome, and for the support and cooperation our government, including the National Development Council, has shown for the establishment of CAPRI. He pointed out that CAPRI has a great team that will grow, and added that he looks forward to many years of very successful collaboration both here and across the region as we advance the cause of resilience, which must be the guide, the single principle, that we need to pursue in the times in which we live, where the pace and scale of change is greater than ever.