On October 17, 2024, President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Tsai Ing-wen met with Secretary-General of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Thibaut Bruttin in the afternoon, expressing her hope to collaborate with global democratic partners in promoting press freedom and democratic sustainability worldwide. Bruttin presented three aspects of future cooperation with Taiwan.
President Tsai Ing-wen received Thibaut Bruttin and his team from Reporters Without Borders on the 16th. In her remarks, she warmly welcomed Bruttin’s first visit since taking office in July this year. Seven years ago, RSF set up its Asia-Pacific office in Taiwan; “We are honored to work together to contribute more to promoting press freedom in Asia,” Tsai remarked.
Tsai stated, “Taiwan is a country that loves democracy and pursues freedom. The spirit of democracy and freedom is in our DNA, and in recent years, Taiwan’s efforts have been recognized by the international community. Whether it’s democracy indices or rankings of freedom, Taiwan consistently ranks among the top in Asia.” This year, Taiwan was ranked first in Asia in RSF’s World Press Freedom Index, rising to 27th globally, marking Taiwan’s best performance since being included in the ranking.
She emphasized that Taiwan’s media environment is free, with an increasing number of international media outlets setting up bases in Taiwan. Today, Taiwan is not only a hub for press freedom in Asia but also a pivot for international media in the Asia-Pacific region. Taiwan stands on the front line of defending democracy, determined to safeguard the values of democracy and freedom.
President Tsai remarked, “Taiwan is the country most severely affected by foreign misinformation. In recent years, the government has been working to establish a more robust cybersecurity defense system, while NGOs actively devise strategies to address the issue of misinformation.” She added, “We have established the ‘Whole-of-Society Resilience Committee’ in the Presidential Office to consolidate government and civil forces to strengthen national resilience against challenges like misinformation attacks.”
Facing the proliferation of misinformation and the expansion of authoritarianism, Tsai stressed that Taiwan needs the world, and the world needs Taiwan. “We hope to enhance exchanges and cooperation with countries around the world to uphold the ‘umbrella of democracy’ together and safeguard the way of life based on democratic freedom.” In the future, Taiwan aims to play a more active role in the international community and work with RSF and global democratic partners to strive for press freedom and democratic sustainability worldwide.
In his speech, Secretary-General Bruttin mentioned that RSF decided seven years ago to establish its first office in Asia in Taiwan, a decision that has proven to be very correct. He highlighted that Taiwan’s media provides information that is not only free but also diverse, aligning with RSF’s ethos of standing with independent and diverse media communities.
Bruttin noted Taiwan’s ranking as first in Asia and 27th globally in the World Press Freedom Index is a significant achievement, showcasing Taiwan’s efforts to strengthen its civil society and promote its development through policies aligned with international standards. Bruttin also outlined areas he hopes to collaborate with Taiwan in the future.
Firstly, recognizing that information from social media platforms is not always reliable or credible, Bruttin hopes for the formulation of public policies to address digital chaos, not just for the news industry but also to protect the public’s right to knowledge.
Secondly, he advocates for media self-regulation, aiming to establish appropriate norms to protect the public and promote media development, strengthening the accuracy of news and ensuring media compliance with ethical standards. He believes this can also enhance the role of public media, creating a trustworthy media environment for the people.
Thirdly, by exposing foreign propaganda and foreign interference in the media, identifying potential misinformation activities, strategic considerations, geopolitical actors, and budget sources, Taiwan and the world can address these global challenges together. The Taiwanese people have shown great courage in promoting democracy, giving him confidence in cooperation with Taiwan over the next seven years.