Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te attended the opening ceremony of the 53rd Asia-Pacific Parliamentarians’ Union (APPU) today, where he announced that Taiwan will take three major actions to cooperate with other countries in promoting peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.
President Lai Ching-te welcomed the distinguished guests from various countries who traveled far to Taiwan to participate in the 53rd APPU annual meeting on behalf of the Taiwanese government and its people. He mentioned that the precursor to APPU, the Asia-Pacific Parliamentarians’ Union (APU), was proposed and established by former Japanese Prime Minister Eisaku Sato in 1965. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the union, and Taiwan is honored to host this historic annual meeting.
Lai Ching-te expressed gratitude to the Speaker of the Legislative Yuan, Han Kuo-yu, Deputy Speaker Tsai Chi-cheng, and members of various political parties for taking on the responsibility. He also acknowledged the APPU for providing a platform for parliamentarians from different countries to engage in parliamentary diplomacy and cooperation, promoting prosperity and progress in Asia.
The theme of this year’s APPU is “Enhancing Regional Social Resilience and Parliamentary Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region,” focusing on sustainable economic development, strengthening social resilience, and collaborating on various issues. President Lai emphasized that these initiatives align with Taiwan’s development needs and are crucial projects for the current Asia-Pacific region. In particular, the region has faced challenges such as the SARS outbreak in 2000, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, climate change, and geopolitical shifts, highlighting the importance of strengthening cooperation among countries through the APPU platform.
President Lai Ching-te outlined three actions that Taiwan will take to collaborate with other countries. Firstly, Taiwan will demonstrate its commitment to maintaining regional peace. It is widely recognized by the international community that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are essential factors for security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. Taiwan not only has a responsibility to safeguard its national security but also an obligation to defend regional peace and stability.
To achieve this, Taiwan will implement the “Four Pillars of Peace Action Plan,” which includes strengthening defense capabilities. Taiwan’s defense budget is expected to exceed 3% of GDP next year, aiming to reach over 5% of GDP by 2030 following NATO standards. Secondly, Taiwan will enhance economic resilience by redirecting investments from China to other regions such as Japan, the United States, and Europe, focusing on global market expansion. Additionally, Taiwan will strengthen cooperation with other countries based on democratic values, freedom, and human rights to collectively deter threats and uphold peace. Lastly, Taiwan is willing to engage in exchanges and cooperation with China on an equal and dignified basis to promote mutual peace and prosperity between both sides.
President Lai Ching-te reiterated the second action of strengthening cooperation with diplomatic allies. He thanked the presidents, prime ministers, and parliaments of Tuvalu, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Palau for their warm welcome during his visits last year and witnessed Taiwan’s close cooperation with these allies on climate change. Taiwan will further collaborate with Japan, the United States, Australia, and other countries in the region to enhance cooperation with diplomatic allies and promote mutual prosperity and development.
In conclusion, President Lai Ching-te wished for the successful and fruitful completion of the annual meeting and hoped that parliamentarians could gain a deeper understanding of Taiwan during their visit.