The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan) announced that the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF) held its first overseas workshop in Lithuania to discuss how to address foreign information manipulation and interference during elections, enhancing the resilience of democratic systems.
According to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan), “The Taiwan Representative Office in Lithuania, in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in Lithuania, the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the local non-governmental organization Citizen Resilience Initiative (CRI), organized the GCTF overseas workshop in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, from the 5th to the 6th, focusing on discussions regarding foreign information manipulation and interference during elections.”
The event invited experts and scholars from Taiwan and the United States who specialize in countering misinformation to engage in dialogue with various sectors of Lithuania to discuss topics such as foreign information manipulation and interference, the impact of artificial intelligence (AI), and modes of interference analysis and countermeasures in elections, in order to collectively strengthen democratic resilience. Egidijus Meilūnas, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, was also invited to deliver a keynote speech.
Ambassador Wang Hsueh-hung, the Taiwan Representative in Lithuania, stated in her opening address that in 2024, over 60 countries worldwide are holding elections, with Taiwan standing at the forefront of combating authoritarian expansion. Taiwan faces daily influences of disinformation from foreign forces, especially during the presidential election at the beginning of this year. In the face of these challenges, both the public and private sectors in Taiwan have been actively responding, and through this workshop and exchanges with other democratic nations, they hope to collectively build a more resilient society.
The event attracted nearly 130 participants, with the CRI providing on-site demonstrations on how to use information software to enhance the ability to discern misinformation, leading to lively exchanges among attendees.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan) emphasized Taiwan’s proactive contributions to the international community by co-establishing the GCTF with the United States in June 2015. Countries with similar ideals such as Japan, Australia, and Canada have since joined as formal partners, making it an important international platform for capacity building. Starting from 2021, the GCTF began hosting overseas events in partnership with other countries, with the workshop in Lithuania being the first of its kind.