Remarks at the closing ceremony for the Ketagalan Forum:2026 Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue

Remarks at the closing ceremony for the Ketagalan Forum:2026 Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue

• Data Source：Department of Policy Planning
• Date：2026-08-04

Baushuan Ger

Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs

ROC (Taiwan)

August 4, 2026

(As Delivered)

Distinguished guests;

Ladies and gentlemen:

The 2026 Ketagalan Forum is coming to a close. On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has engaged in this milestone event. Whether you participated in person or joined us online, your contributions greatly enriched the forum's 10th edition.

This year, Taiwan marks the 30th anniversary of its first direct presidential elections. And so, we have honed in on democratic resilience, and continue to work for the collective defense of the Indo-Pacific and non-red supply chains. We have also looked at the ramifications of the transnational repression exacerbated by the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress, which China put in force on July 1.

This forum identified emerging challenges associated with political polarization worldwide, authoritarian expansionism, gray-zone coercion in the first island chain, and dubious supply chains. To seek solutions to these issues for the international community, we have turned to the values of democracy, peace, and prosperity. These define today's Taiwan.

I believe that today's fruitful discussions will lead to a more democratically resilient international community, a stronger Indo-Pacific partnership, and a more prosperous global economic order-in which Taiwan plays a reliable and trustworthy role.

Now, I would like to bring up a reminder to all like-minded democratic partners: the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress is by no means China's internal affair. We conclude that this legislation represents a flagrant provocation that runs against the rule of law, freedom, and national sovereignty everywhere. Authoritarian expansion is not only aimed at Taiwan. If we remain silent about the lawfare and transnational repression of this act, freedom will come under fire across the world.

In the face of China's hegemonic actions, the democratic camp has no room to compromise or retreat. We must forge a strong international democratic line of defense. And we must counter this law by issuing statements, enacting legislation, taking concrete action, and engaging in intelligence-sharing. Only then can we send a clear, unwavering signal to authoritarian regimes: democracies will not bow to coercion, and we will never surrender our free way of life.

Taiwan's resilience is critical to the resilience of the global democratic alliance. As an anchor of a free and open Indo-Pacific, Taiwan serves as a powerful testament against authoritarian expansion. We call upon our global democratic allies and partners to stand with us and to work together to raise awareness of the problems created by China's new law. We must also enhance exchanges and cooperation, as we advance and implement robust countermeasures.

Based on Taiwan's unique identity and democratic convictions, we will work side by side with the international community to ensure that freedom, peace, and prosperity are passed down to future generations. This forum continues to prepare us for the challenges and opportunities ahead. I wish you all the very best and look forward to seeing you at next year's event. Thank you.