Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen responded to the invitation from the New York-based non-profit organization, Concordia, by delivering a recorded speech emphasizing the importance of unity and collaboration in creating a better future. The President highlighted Taiwan’s commitment to this belief, pledging to work hand in hand with global democratic partners to foster a more secure, stable, and prosperous world.
This year holds particular historical significance as it marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II on August 15th. The most valuable lesson that World War II taught us is that “unity leads to victory, while aggression leads to defeat.”
The theme of this year’s United Nations General Assembly is “Moving Forward Together”, serving as a reminder that over the past 80 years, humanity has emerged from the shadows of World War II through unity and collaboration, establishing an international order centered around peace, development, and human rights. However, the current international landscape is tumultuous, with geopolitical tensions on the rise and authoritarian forces gathering and expanding, eroding the international order. Democracies are increasingly facing challenges from misinformation and external interference, posing severe threats to global peace.
These challenges are complex and diverse, and no single country can tackle them alone. This underscores the necessity of unity and cooperation to defuse crises and deepen democratic partnerships to safeguard lasting peace and prosperity and build a stable world.
Taiwan stands at the forefront of the Indo-Pacific island chain, directly confronting authoritarian threats. In the face of uncertain times, Taiwan pledges to continue steering the world towards peace and driving prosperity, actively engaging with the world with a positive strategy and unwavering conviction.
Firstly, Taiwan advocates for “value diplomacy”, basing cooperation with like-minded countries on shared values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law to address global challenges together. Despite not being part of the United Nations system, Taiwan consistently demonstrates through actions that it is a trustworthy partner to the international community, embodying the spirit of “Taiwan Can Help” and striving for the global well-being.
Secondly, Taiwan is building economic security and supply chain resilience. Playing a crucial role in the global semiconductor supply chain, Taiwan utilizes its core advantages in semiconductor manufacturing to collaborate with international partners across the supply chain. This not only strengthens the global industrial ecosystem but also ensures the sustainable development of industrial chains worldwide.
Thirdly, Taiwan is enhancing its national defense capabilities and boosting overall societal defense resilience. Faced with complex threats such as military intimidation and information warfare from China, Taiwan has fortified its democratic defenses. Taiwan continues to invest resources in enhancing its self-defense capabilities, with next year’s defense budget exceeding 3% of GDP based on NATO standards, aiming to reach 5% of GDP by 2030.
Simultaneously, Taiwan is strengthening cybersecurity, combating misinformation, and increasing media literacy amongst citizens to consolidate diverse opinions through democratic mechanisms.
Our position is crystal clear – to make Taiwan more resilient and secure so that the world’s democratic defense line becomes more robust. We firmly believe that unity is strength, and collaboration is the key to creating a better future. Taiwan will uphold this belief and work hand in hand with global democratic partners to forge a safer, stable, and prosperous world. Finally, sincere thanks to Concordia for the invitation, and best wishes for a successful summit.
The Presidential Office of the Republic of China (Taiwan) stated that Concordia traditionally holds its annual summit outside the United Nations headquarters during the general debate of the UN General Assembly, inviting world leaders and top companies to participate and seek innovative solutions to global and regional challenges, consistently receiving high attention from the UN community.