Remarks by Deputy Minister François Chih-Chung Wu for a luncheon at the eighth Yushan Forum

Remarks by Deputy Minister François Chih-Chung Wu for a luncheon at the eighth Yushan Forum

• Data Source：Department of West Asian and African Affairs
• Date：2025-03-18

François Chih Chung Wu

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

Republic of China (Taiwan)

March 18, 2025

(As Prepared for Delivery)

Ladies and gentlemen:

Good afternoon!

On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it is my great pleasure to host this luncheon at the eighth Yushan Forum. The success of this event conveys a powerful message that leaders of government, business, and civil society across the Indo-Pacific and Europe stand with Taiwan in defending the values of freedom and democracy and safeguarding the peace and prosperity of the region against authoritarian aggression.

As China's military capability continues to grow, its intimidation and coercion of Taiwan pose an increasingly serious threat to the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and the stability of the Indo-Pacific region. Chinese fighter jets and drones regularly cross the median line of the Taiwan Strait, its military aircraft and ships encircle Taiwan, and its disinformation campaigns and cyberattacks have intensified.

China has also picked fights with its neighbors in the South China Sea and is conspiring with Russia and other dictatorships in the axis of upheaval to expand authoritarianism worldwide.

In the face of such aggression and coercion, we are encouraged to see more and more partners around the world who are willing to push for Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations, deepen bilateral economic and trade relations with Taiwan, and uphold a free and stable Indo-Pacific.

I would like to take this opportunity to voice my appreciation for all the expressions of support from our friends in the international community, including the joint statement following the most recent US-Japan-ROK trilateral meeting of foreign ministers last month.

Taiwan looks forward to working more closely with the global democratic community to defend our shared values against authoritarian expansionism and strengthen mutually beneficial ties.

With that in mind, I am delighted to introduce you to our keynote speaker. Dr. Mantas Adomenas is secretary general of the Community of Democracies. His institution plays a crucial role in advancing democracy worldwide, strengthening democratic resilience, countering disinformation, protecting civil society, and promoting the participation of women and young people in public life. Dr. Adomenas is also a long-term friend of Taiwan. He was a member of the Lithuania-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group for many years. And he demonstrated strong support for Taiwan while serving as Lithuanian deputy minister of foreign affairs from 2021 to 2023.

We truly appreciate your participation in the Yushan Forum and your staunch backing of Taiwan. And we are very much looking forward to hearing your observations and insights on issues of common concern. Thank you.