Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

On the morning of March 18, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by Alfred Lipphardt, commander-in-chief of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) of the United States. In remarks, President Lai thanked the US government and Congress for helping Taiwan strengthen its self-defense capabilities, helping defend our common interests in the Indo-Pacific region. The president noted that as China attempts to intimidate Taiwan politically and militarily, strengthening Taiwan’s security means advancing global security and prosperity. He stated that we will continue to work closely with like-minded countries to safeguard freedom and jointly uphold regional peace, stability, and prosperity. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I warmly welcome Commander-in-Chief Lipphardt as he leads this delegation to Taiwan for exchange. The VFW of the US has a fraternal relationship with Taiwan’s Veterans Affairs Council (VAC). Every year, the VFW invites our VAC to attend and deliver remarks at its National Convention. The VFW has also passed resolutions in support of the Republic of China (Taiwan). I want to thank the VFW for continuing to advance exchanges and cooperation with Taiwan and for deepening our friendship over the years. There is much that Taiwan can learn about veteran care from the United States. For example, the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), formed in 1989, is the second-largest US federal agency after the Department of Defense. And the VA’s commitment to providing services and support to veterans is truly admirable. Since taking office, I have visited military bases and presided over important military events on numerous occasions. One memorable instance was a visit to the Taoyuan Veterans Home, where I attended residents’ birthday celebrations. I also thanked them for all they had done for our country and for showing patriotism through their actions. Soldiers go to great lengths to protect the nation and people’s lives and property. It is thus the government’s duty and responsibility to provide for veterans so that they can lead secure and dignified lives and to safeguard their beloved homeland. I want to thank the US government and Congress for helping Taiwan strengthen its self-defense capabilities, establishing robust bilateral economic and trade links, and supporting Taiwan’s international participation. These actions help defend our common interests in the Indo-Pacific region. As China attempts to intimidate Taiwan politically and militarily, strengthening Taiwan’s security means advancing global security and prosperity. We will continue to work closely with like-minded countries to safeguard freedom and jointly uphold regional peace, stability, and prosperity. In closing, I once again thank you all for your visit. I wish you a smooth trip and look forward to even stronger friendship between veterans in Taiwan and the US. Commander-in-Chief Lipphardt then delivered remarks, first thanking President Lai for giving his time and saying that he is very proud to lead his delegation here. Noting that the very strong relationship between the VFW of the US and VAC of Taiwan dates back to 1980, the commander-in-chief said that at their National Convention in 2023, VAC Deputy Minister Wu Chih-yang (吳志揚) and then-VFW Commander-in-Chief Tim Borland renewed that relationship in a joint proclamation. He also said that a pre-taped video message from then-President Tsai Ing-wen was played for the members in attendance, which was a very proud moment. Commander-in-Chief Lipphardt, mentioning that the VFW will be holding its National Convention in Columbus, Ohio, this coming August, said he hopes President Lai will be able to provide a video address for the event. He also noted that the VFW Department of Pacific Areas will have their convention in Bangkok, Thailand on June 18-21, and that they invite members of the Taiwan VAC to join them at these events. Commander-in-Chief Lipphardt stated that the VFW is very proud to be the only veteran service organization to have a post located here in Taipei. He mentioned that the VFW will also hold a community service project in May, and that they look forward to being joined by US veterans throughout the country who will come and join this meaningful event. Commander-in-Chief Lipphardt stated that the VFW treasures its relationship with Taiwan, adding that Taiwan is a beautiful country with beautiful people. In closing, the commander-in-chief thanked President Lai once again for allowing them to come visit today and said that they look forward to continuing to build our relationship. Also in attendance were National President of the VFW Auxiliary Brenda Bryant, National Chief of Staff of the VFW Jeff Carroll, former National President of the VFW Auxiliary Jane Reape, and Executive Director of the VFW Washington Office Ryan Gallucci.  

On the morning of March 4, President Lai Ching-te attended the opening ceremony of the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF) Workshop on Whole-of-Society Resilience Building, Preparation, and Response. In remarks, President Lai stated that global challenges such as extreme weather, pandemics, and energy crises continue to emerge, and growing authoritarianism presents a grave threat to freedom-loving countries. These challenges have no borders, he said, and absolutely no single country can face them alone. The president said that as a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan is both willing and able to contribute even more to the democracy, peace, and prosperity of the world, and that the GCTF is an important platform where Taiwan can make those contributions by sharing its experiences with the rest of the world. President Lai indicated that Taiwan will join the forces of the central and local governments to enhance social resilience across the board, enhance disaster response capabilities in the community, and leverage its strengths to make contributions to the international community. He said that we are demonstrating to the world our determination to create an even more resilient Taiwan, and expressed hope to advance mutual assistance and exchanges with all the countries involved, so that we can together promote stability and prosperity around the world. A transcript of President Lai’s remarks follows: To begin, I would like to welcome more than 60 distinguished guests from 30 countries, as well as experts from Taiwan. You are all here for this GCTF workshop to discuss whole-of-society resilience building, preparation, and response. As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan is both willing and able to contribute even more to the democracy, peace, and prosperity of the world. The GCTF is an important platform where Taiwan can make those contributions by sharing its experiences with the rest of the world. I want to thank our full GCTF partners, the United States, Japan, Australia, and Canada. Over the past several years, we have worked with even more countries through this framework and have expanded our exchanges into even more fields. Together, we have met all kinds of new challenges. I am confident that as our cooperation grows stronger, so will our ability to promote global progress. Each of today’s guests is contributing a vital force in that regard. I extend my sincere thanks to you all. Global challenges such as extreme weather, pandemics, and energy crises continue to emerge. And growing authoritarianism presents a grave threat to freedom-loving countries. These challenges have no borders, and absolutely no single country can face them alone. Taiwan holds a key position on the first island chain, and stands at the very frontline of the defense of democracy. With this joint workshop, we are demonstrating to the world our determination to create an even more resilient Taiwan. We are also aiming to advance our mutual assistance and exchanges with all the countries involved, so that we can make our societies more resilient and together promote stability and prosperity around the world. Moving forward, we will continue advancing the following three initiatives: First, we will join the forces of the central and local governments to enhance social resilience across the board. Just last year, I established the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee at the Presidential Office. Civilian force training, strategic material preparation, and critical infrastructure operation and maintenance are all key discussion areas for our committee. These aim to enhance Taiwan’s resilience in national defense, economic livelihoods, disaster prevention, and democracy. They are also items on the agenda for this GCTF workshop. To cover all the bases, Taiwan must unite and cooperate as a team. Last year, our committee held the very first cross-sector tabletop exercise at the Presidential Office which included central and local government officials as well as civilian observers. We aim to test the government’s emergency response capabilities in high-intensity gray-zone operations and near-conflict situations. We will continue to hold exercises to help the central and local governments work together more efficiently, and strengthen Taiwan’s overall disaster response capabilities. Second is to enhance disaster response capabilities in the community. We fully understand that to build whole-of-society resilience, we must help people increase risk awareness, know how to respond to disasters, and develop abilities to help themselves, help one another, and work together. We are grateful to the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) for collaborating with the Taiwan Development Association for Disaster Medical Teams to host “Take Action” workshops around the country since 2021. A 2.0 version is already in practice, and continues to train the public in first aid skills. Director of the AIT Taipei Office Raymond Greene and I took part in a Take Action event in New Taipei City last year and personally saw the positive outcomes of the training. In addition to the Take Action workshops, the government is also providing Disaster Relief Volunteer training for ages 11 to 89, and is continuing to expand its target audience. We have also set up Taiwan Community Emergency Response Teams at key facilities nationwide, enhancing the ability of these important facilities to respond independently to disasters. Civilian training will continue to be refined and expanded so that members of the public can serve as important partners in government-led disaster prevention and relief. Third, we will leverage Taiwan’s strengths to make contributions to the international community. The inspiration for our Disaster Relief Volunteer training comes from a similar program run by The Nippon Care-Fit Education Institute in Japan. I am confident that through exchanges like this workshop, Taiwan and other countries can also inspire one another in many areas, and enhance whole-of-society resilience in multiple ways. Taiwan also excels in information and communications and advanced technology. We will set up even more robust cybersecurity systems, expand usage of emerging technologies, and improve the ways we maintain domestic security. We hope that by leveraging our capabilities and sharing our experiences, Taiwan can contribute even more to the international community. I want to welcome all our partners once again, and thank AIT for co-hosting this event. Let’s continue down the path of advancing global security and developing resilience together. Because together, we can travel farther, and we can travel longer. Also in attendance at the event were Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Deputy Representative Takaba Yo, Australian Office in Taipei Representative Robert Fergusson, and Canadian Trade Office in Taipei Executive Director Jim Nickel.

On the morning of February 17, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by former United States Deputy National Security Advisor Matthew Pottinger. In remarks, President Lai thanked the delegation for demonstrating staunch support for Taiwan through their visit. The president pointed out that increased cooperation between authoritarian regimes is posing risks and challenges to the geopolitical landscape and regional security. He emphasized that only by bolstering our defense capabilities can we demonstrate effective deterrence and maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and around the world. The president stated that moving forward, Taiwan will continue to enhance its self-defense capabilities. He also expressed hope of strengthening the Taiwan-US partnership and jointly building secure and resilient non-red supply chains so as to ensure that Taiwan, the US, and democratic partners around the world maintain a technological lead. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I am delighted to welcome our good friends Mr. Pottinger and retired US Rear Admiral Mr. Mark Montgomery to Taiwan once again. Last June, Mr. Pottinger and Mr. Ivan Kanapathy came to Taiwan to launch their new book The Boiling Moat. During that visit, they also visited the Presidential Office. We held an extensive exchange of views on Taiwan-US relations and regional affairs right here in the Taiwan Heritage Room. Now, as we meet again eight months later, I am pleased to learn that Mr. Kanapathy is now serving on the White House National Security Council. The Mandarin translation of The Boiling Moat is also due to be released in Taiwan very soon. This book offers insightful observations from US experts regarding US-China-Taiwan relations and valuable advice for the strengthening of Taiwan’s national defense, security, and overall resilience. I am sure that Taiwanese readers will benefit greatly from it. I understand that this is Mr. Montgomery’s fourth visit to Taiwan and that he has long paid close attention to Taiwan-related issues. I look forward to an in-depth discussion with our two friends on the future direction of Taiwan-US relations and cooperation. Increased cooperation between authoritarian regimes is posing risks and challenges to the geopolitical landscape and regional security. One notion we all share is peace through strength. That is, only by bolstering our defense capabilities and fortifying our defenses can we demonstrate effective deterrence and maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and around the world. Moving forward, Taiwan will continue to enhance its self-defense capabilities. We also hope to strengthen the Taiwan-US partnership in such fields as security, trade and the economy, and energy. In addition, we will advance cooperation in critical and innovative technologies and jointly build secure and resilient non-red supply chains. This will ensure that Taiwan, the US, and democratic partners around the world maintain a technological lead. We believe that closer Taiwan-US exchanges and cooperation not only benefit national security and development but also align with the common economic interests of Taiwan and the US. I want to thank Mr. Pottinger and Mr. Montgomery once again for visiting and for continuing to advance Taiwan-US exchanges, demonstrating staunch support for Taiwan. Let us continue to work together to deepen Taiwan-US relations. I wish you a smooth and fruitful visit.  Mr. Pottinger then delivered remarks, first congratulating President Lai on his one-year election anniversary and on the state of the economy, which, he added, is doing quite well. Mentioning President Lai’s recent statement pledging to increase Taiwan’s defense budget to above 3 percent of GDP, Mr. Pottinger said he thinks that the benchmark is equal to what the US spends on its defense and that it is a good starting point for both countries to build deterrence. Echoing the president’s earlier remarks, Mr. Pottinger said that peace through strength is the right path for the US and for Taiwan right now at a moment when autocratic, aggressive governments are on the march. He then paraphrased the words of former US President George Washington in his first inaugural address, saying that the best way to keep the peace is to be prepared at all times for war, which captures the meaning of peace through strength. In closing, he said he looks forward to exchanging views with President Lai.

On the afternoon of December 26, President Lai Ching-te presided over the second meeting of the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee. President Lai stated that the committee’s goal is to enhance overall resilience in terms of national defense, economic livelihoods, disaster prevention, and democracy through five key areas: civilian force training and utilization, strategic material preparation and critical supply distribution, energy and critical infrastructure operations and maintenance, social welfare, medical care, and evacuation facility readiness, and information, transportation, and financial network protection. That morning, he said, was the first time that central and local government officials, as well as civilian observers, gathered at the Presidential Office to conduct cross-disciplinary tabletop exercises, demonstrating cooperation between central and local governments to jointly enhance social resilience. President Lai also announced that the existing Wan An and Min An Exercises, which are air raid drills and disaster response drills, respectively, beginning from next year will be combined into the 2025 Urban Resilience Exercises, the nomenclature of which matches up with that of similar exercises carried out overseas. The exercises, he said, will strengthen the defensive mechanisms of the non-military sector, and verify the ability of civil defense and disaster preparedness systems to protect our nation’s people. The president emphasized that combining government and private-sector forces is the only way to strengthen Taiwan’s overall defense capabilities, jointly consolidate global democratic resilience, and maintain regional peace and stability. A translation of President Lai’s opening statement follows: Today, we are convening the second meeting of the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee, implementing the conclusions reached at the last meeting, conducting tabletop exercises, and verifying the preparedness of government agencies to address extreme situations. Looking back over the past year, circumstances at home and abroad have changed rapidly. Authoritarian states around the world continue to converge, threatening the rules-based international order, and they now present a collective challenge to the peace and stability of the entire first island chain. To address threats, whether natural disasters or ambitions for authoritarian expansion, we believe that as long as the government and all of society are prepared, we can respond. With determination, there is no need to worry. With confidence, our people can rest assured. This is the goal of whole-of-society defense resilience. Of course, these preparations are not easy. Taiwan’s society must race against time, and work together to build capabilities to respond to major disasters and threats, and deter enemy encroachment. Therefore, the goal of this committee is to formulate action plans through the five key areas: civilian force training and utilization, strategic material preparation and critical supply distribution, energy and critical infrastructure operations and maintenance, social welfare, medical care, and evacuation facility readiness, and information, transportation, and financial network protection, thereby verifying central and local government capacities to respond in times of disaster, and enhance overall resilience in terms of national defense, economic livelihoods, disaster prevention, and democracy. This morning at the Presidential Office, we conducted the first-ever cross-disciplinary tabletop exercises involving central and local government officials as well as civilian observers. Participating teams from central government departments were all led by deputy ministers, Tainan City Deputy Mayor Yeh Tse-shan (葉澤山) led a team, and Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) also came to participate, demonstrating cooperation between central and local governments to jointly enhance social resilience. The exercises were based on Taiwan’s mature disaster prevention and relief system’s response to comprehensive threats. We had scenarios, but no scripts, so the participating units did not prepare notes in advance, but reacted on the spot. When presented with a problem, they proposed countermeasures, which is closer to a real crisis situation. To address the continued threat of authoritarian expansion to regional stability and order, in the first scenario we simulated that a high-intensity gray-zone operation occurred; in the second scenario, we simulated a state of being on the verge of conflict. The most important core objectives of the exercises were to ensure that people could carry on their daily lives and that society could function normally. I would like to thank our three deputy conveners for serving as exercise commanders, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) and Minister without Portfolio of the Executive Yuan Chi Lien-cheng (季連成) for serving as deputy exercise commanders, and Deputy Secretary-General to the President Chang Tun-han (張惇涵) as well as National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) for serving as chief officials. I also want to thank all our advisors, committee members, and colleagues from government agencies at both the central and local levels for coming together to complete tabletop exercises aimed at testing out components of the five key areas. After conducting numerous exercises in the past, many government agencies improved their emergency response capabilities, and I want to recognize those achievements. However, I also want to emphasize that we must identify problems in our current systems, and then make improvements. Whether it be the central or the local level, we cannot just talk about the good things and sweep the unpleasant things under the rug. We have to rigorously ascertain numbers and make sure just how accurate the sources of our information are, because it is always a good thing when we discover problems in our exercises, and find places where improvements are needed. This means that our testing has achieved its purpose, and that there is much room for progress and improvement. I also want to report to you all that, over the past few years, due to the global pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, countries throughout the world have been bolstering their defense resilience. NATO and the European Union, for example, have both adopted guidelines aimed at strengthening whole-of-society resilience. This shows that Taiwan is not a special case. The task of whole-of-society defense resilience is being addressed throughout the world. Taiwan’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its whole-of-society defense resilience is something the international community at large is wanting to see. This month I visited the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and the Republic of Palau, all of which are Pacific allies of Taiwan, and I made transit stops in the United States islands of Hawaii and Guam. Friends in each of these places expressed firm support for Taiwan and repeatedly said they hope for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. We must continue taking action to respond to the international community’s support. Taiwan must have the capability to defend its own security. As president, I want to take this opportunity to emphasize to the international community that Taiwan is determined to defend regional peace and stability. We will accelerate the pace of efforts to build a more resilient Taiwan. I therefore wish to announce that our existing Wan An and Min An Exercises, which are air raid drills and disaster response drills, respectively, beginning from next year will be combined, and we will hold the 2025 Urban Resilience Exercises. This new nomenclature matches up with that of similar exercises carried out overseas, making it easier for others to understand the efforts that Taiwan is putting forth. In addition, the 2025 Urban Resilience Exercises will feature absolutely no reliance on military support, and will have a design that takes the latest international experiences into account. These resilience exercises will be distinct from the Han Kuang military exercises, and yet complementary at the same time. In other words, whole-of-society defense resilience must particularly strengthen the defensive mechanisms of the non-military sector, and must verify the ability of civil defense and disaster preparedness systems to protect our nation’s people. I want to emphasize once again that the more resilient we make Taiwan, like-minded nations around the world will be more willing to coordinate with us in responding to various challenges together. I realize that to defend democracy, we must gather together every bit of strength we have. The task of promoting whole-of-society defense resilience is a massive undertaking. The public sector must adopt a more open-minded attitude and be willing to tap into private-sector human resources, because combining government and private-sector forces is the only way to jointly respond to challenges arising under extreme conditions, and is the only way to strengthen Taiwan’s overall defense capabilities, jointly consolidate global democratic resilience, and maintain regional peace and stability. In just a few moments, Minister Liu will deliver a report on the progress of certain items listed in the first committee meeting, and Deputy Secretary-General Lin will deliver a report on the outcomes of the tabletop exercises held this morning. Next, let us engage in open discussions and examine and verify each component of the tabletop exercises, so that together we can improve whole-of-society defense resilience, make Taiwan more secure, and make the region more stable. Thank you. After listening to the report on the progress of certain items listed in the first committee meeting and the report on the outcomes of the tabletop exercises, President Lai exchanged views with the committee members regarding the content of the reports.123

On November 29 (US EST), the United States government announced that it had notified Congress of the sale to Taiwan of two military packages: a US$320 million sale of spare parts and support for F-16 aircraft and Active Electronically Scanned Array radar spare parts and support; and a US$65 million sale of Improved Mobile Subscriber Equipment Follow-on Support and related equipment. Presidential Office Spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) stated that the Presidential Office is sincerely grateful to the US government for its unwavering commitment to continue to strengthen the cooperative partnership between Taiwan and the US and support Taiwan in enhancing self-defense capabilities in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances.  Spokesperson Kuo stated that this marks the 18th military sale to Taiwan announced during the Biden administration since 2021, emphasizing that the deepening Taiwan-US security partnership is a critical cornerstone for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. The spokesperson said that in the face of mounting security challenges in the region, Taiwan will continue to enhance self-defense capabilities and work alongside like-minded countries to jointly defend the values of freedom and democracy and ensure the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region.

On the morning of August 1, President Lai Ching-te delivered remarks at the Presidential Office on the response to the reciprocal tariff policy of the United States. President Lai explained that technical consultations with the US are finished, but as the final concluding meeting has not yet taken place, 20 percent has been set for Taiwan as an interim tariff rate. The president said that Taiwan will work towards a more favorable and reasonable rate in the subsequent negotiations, and that the US has expressed its willingness to continue talks. He added that a support plan for Taiwan’s export supply chain in response to US tariffs has been proposed to assist small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in responding to the US tariff policy. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: Earlier today, the US government informed our lead negotiator, Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君), that an interim tariff rate for Taiwan has been set at 20 percent. Since April 2, when the US introduced its new tariff policy targeting countries worldwide, Taiwan has actively engaged in four in-person rounds of negotiation and multiple discussions over videoconference with the US government. Throughout the process, both sides have negotiated in good faith based on the shared goal of addressing the trade deficit between Taiwan and the US and creating complementary and mutually beneficial outcomes. Although we have achieved an interim reduction in the tariff rate from 32 percent to 20 percent at this point in the negotiations, 20 percent was never our goal. We hope to work towards a more favorable and reasonable rate for Taiwan in the subsequent negotiations, and the US has expressed its willingness to continue talks. We have finished technical consultations, but as the final concluding meeting has not yet taken place, a final tariff rate has not yet been reached. This is the reason for the setting of an interim tariff rate. I extend my sincere gratitude to Vice Premier Cheng and Minister without Portfolio of the Executive Yuan Yang Jen-ni (楊珍妮) for working tirelessly over the past few months leading the negotiation team, remaining on call whether in Taiwan or the US. From here in Taiwan I, along with Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao, National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰), and Secretary-General Pan Men-an (潘孟安), have also provided full support to our negotiating team in the US. Regardless of the final tariff rate, Taiwan’s industries will inevitably be impacted. I am deeply grateful to Premier Cho for proposing on April 4 a support plan for Taiwan’s export supply chain in response to US tariffs, and for holding over 20 industry consultation sessions. The special budget has also been increased from NT$88 billion to NT$93 billion. This special act has already been submitted to the Legislative Yuan and passed review. I hope that the Executive Yuan will promptly submit the budget request for legislative review so that the special budget can be implemented as soon as possible to assist SMEs in responding to this new US tariff policy.