President Tsai meets 2023 Taipei Security Dialogue participants led by former Acting US Secretary of the Army John Whitley
On the morning of November 9, President Tsai Ing-wen met with former Acting United States Secretary of the Army John Whitley and other participants in the 2023 Taipei Security Dialogue. In remarks, President Tsai said that Taiwan stands on the frontline of the defense of democracy, and has in recent years continued to stand for the values of freedom and democracy while strengthening cooperation with democratic nations so as to jointly safeguard regional peace and stability. She stated that Taiwan is willing and able to contribute even more to the international community, and said she looks forward to the facilitation of more diverse bilateral exchanges that promote cooperation toward the security and development of our nations.
A translation of President Tsai's remarks follows:
Yesterday I attended the Taipei Security Dialogue together with our esteemed guests. That conference addressed the Russia-Ukraine war and challenges facing democracies, eliciting much discussion. Today, I am pleased to have the opportunity to continue our discussions.
You are all good friends of Taiwan and have long paid close attention to Taiwan. Professor Matsuda Yasuhiro, who is here today, has previously led delegations to the Presidential Office and held discussions with me. Once again, I thank you all for making the journey to Taiwan to share your experiences in democracy with us.
The Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR) has organized the Taipei Security Dialogue for three consecutive years. Over this time, the international security landscape has undergone structural changes. Authoritarianism has continued to expand and the international order has encountered multifaceted challenges. I believe that through this dialogue, participants were able to gain a deeper understanding of the situation across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the Indo-Pacific region.
Taiwan stands on the frontline of the defense of democracy. In recent years, we have continued to stand for the values of freedom and democracy and have strengthened cooperation with democratic nations so as to jointly safeguard regional peace and stability. Taiwan's determination to safeguard freedom and democracy is also reflected in our efforts toward self-sufficiency in national defense. Our first indigenous defense submarine Narwhal has already been launched and 21 of our domestically built Brave Eagle jet trainers have been delivered. Our efforts to achieve self-sufficiency in national defense have also promoted development in Taiwan's aerospace and shipbuilding industries.
In recent years, Taiwan has continued to expand cooperation with many other nations through the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF). People from the countries of everyone in attendance today have participated in GCTF workshops, seminars and forums, coming together to address issues of global concern.
Taiwan is willing and able to contribute more to the international community. I look forward to our distinguished guests' visiting often in the future. This will facilitate more diverse bilateral exchanges and allow us to work together for the security and development of our nations. Thank you!
Former Acting US Secretary of the Army Whitley then delivered remarks, thanking President Tsai for taking the time to meet with his delegation and for her remarks at the Taipei Security Dialogue the day before. Before coming to Taiwan, former Acting Secretary Whitley said he reached out to friends and colleagues in the US defense community to ask what messages they would have for the president. First, he said, that those he asked consistently made the point that the US is very impressed with the progress that Taiwan has made, including in the growth of its defense budget, its defense reforms, training improvements, training extension and capacity, and the whole-of-society approach it has taken, as well as its thinking about the power, finance, and telecommunications sectors.
Former Acting Secretary Whitley said that the second point they made was the importance of continuing this progress. Noting that an election is coming up, he said that everybody stands in admiration of the vibrant democracy that Taiwan has created and that everybody understands that elections can bring changes, which is a good and healthy thing. He also stated that whatever can be done to institutionalize these changes and continue the progress that's being made would be very important.
Former Acting Secretary Whitley said that the US and the countries of all the delegation members are friends and that they want to continue to work together. He then emphasized that these countries can support and interact with Taiwan both politically and militarily, but that also to some extent this depends on the actions that Taiwan takes. He added that this would be obvious in an initial response if there were an unfortunate military situation here. He also noted that the day before at the Taipei Security Dialogue, they engaged in discussions about the example of Ukraine and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's response, such as how he engaged with partners and allies and how he was able to enable Ukraine to hold on until friends and allies could come and provide support.
Former Acting Secretary Whitley said that partnerships are also important at periods like the competition phase we are in now. He added that the actions Taiwan has taken with defense reform are important signals to the US that help the US develop its own internal support for its support of Taiwan.
Former Acting Secretary Whitley noted that conferences like INDSR's Taipei Security Dialogue are very important. He said that the US defense community is largely unified in its understanding of the security challenges in this region, but enquired about what more can be done for non-defense communities to educate partners and allies around the world about the challenges here and the need for continuing progress, as well as what more can be done in the political and military spheres.
Pointing to the great progress we have made in joint training, former Acting Secretary Whitley said that training ties give friends and allies confidence in each other, making them bound to each other in commitment. He then discussed what more can be done to bring allies together in the region and build such commitment and relationships, so that we are prepared for future contingencies. These ideas, he said, he offers for future security dialogues.