Former Vice President of Taiwan, Annette Lu, delivered a keynote speech titled “Taiwan’s New Destiny” on the evening of November 15 at the Taiwan Center in New York, meeting with fellow Taiwanese. She discussed the impact of Donald Trump’s presidency on Taiwan and her efforts to promote a united front between Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea to establish the “Democracy Triangle of East Asia” in order to maintain stability in the region.
The attendees of the event with Annette Lu included individuals from both the green and blue camps in Taiwan. Annette Lu revealed that she will be traveling to the diplomatic ally in the Caribbean, Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, to attend the 31st World Conference of the United Nations Non-Governmental Organizations and the International Federation of Business and Professional Women, where she will deliver another keynote speech.
Annette Lu first discussed the implications of Trump’s presidency on Taiwan, stating that “Trump is a businessman who treats politics as a business operation,” which might alleviate tensions in cross-strait relations and hopefully lead to a reduction in military conflicts.
She expressed her commitment to promoting a union between Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Back in 2018, she established the “East Asia Peace Forum” and in September of this year, hosted the fourth forum in Tokyo to advocate for the three countries to form a “community” and achieve a Win-Win-Win Union, creating the “Democracy Triangle of East Asia” to promote stability in the region.
Annette Lu stressed that the collaboration between the three countries is not intended to challenge China, but rather, unifying three democratic countries will generate significant energy.
During the Q&A session following her speech, a participant from mainland China raised a question about the relationship between the Republic of China (ROC) and Taiwan. Annette Lu responded, mentioning that Lai Ching-te has integrated the ROC and Taiwan, emphasizing a mutual influence between the two entities. She further stated, “This is a fact, and the choice of the country’s name lies with the people.”