President Lai presides over eighth meeting of Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee

On the afternoon of June 25, President Lai Ching-te presided over the eighth meeting of the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee. In his opening statement, President Lai stated that China's authoritarian expansionist actions clearly demonstrate that it is the one attempting to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and undermining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. The president emphasized that Taiwan's efforts to enhance its self-defense capabilities, maintain the status quo of peace and stability, and safeguard a free and democratic way of life are absolutely not acts of provocation. The president underscored that "the more prepared we are, the safer we will be." He noted that the government will assess Taiwan's overall ability to respond to hybrid risks and threats through cross-ministerial and cross-disciplinary cooperation, discussion, and verification, thereby further enhancing Taiwan's security and defense resilience. President Lai added that Taiwan will also continue to work closely with like-minded countries, standing together to demonstrate the strength of deterrence and jointly safeguard peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

A translation of President Lai's opening statement follows:

This morning, our Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee conducted a tabletop exercise focused on gray-zone aggression and high-intensity maritime coercion. I want to thank the advisors, committee members, and colleagues from the administrative team for their hard work and contributions to our nation's security and resilience.

In recent years, China's gray-zone aggression, threats, and infiltration of neighboring countries such as Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines have caused unease among Indo-Pacific countries and the international community.

This is particularly evident in China's recent maritime operations in the East and South China Seas and areas around the Taiwan Strait, ostensibly for law enforcement, patrol, or surveying purposes. These are no longer simply routine technical operations. Rather, they are acts of expansion performed under the pretext of law enforcement. Such actions undermine the status quo of security, peace, and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as the rules-based international order.

The joint statement issued by the leaders of the G7 last week clearly underscored the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific region based on the rule of law and reaffirmed their firm opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas and across the Taiwan Strait by force or coercion.

I want to emphasize once again: These authoritarian expansionist actions clearly demonstrate that China is the one attempting to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and undermining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Taiwan's efforts to enhance its self-defense capabilities, maintain the status quo of peace and stability, and safeguard our free and democratic way of life are absolutely not acts of provocation.

Taiwan will respond to the G7's call and will engage in collective defense and burden-sharing. We will continue to work closely with like-minded countries, standing together to demonstrate the strength of deterrence and jointly safeguard peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

In the face of China's operations, I would like to thank our men and women in the military and coast guard for their proactive efforts on the frontline in safeguarding national security. I also want to emphasize that upholding national sovereignty and security is not simply a defense issue but a society-wide responsibility. Modern security challenges are not isolated events, but long-term, complex, and cross-disciplinary stress tests. A strongly defensive, resilient nation needs a stable administrative system and a social structure capable of maintaining order and public confidence in times of crisis.

Therefore, in promoting whole-of-society defense resilience, we constantly emphasize that "the more prepared we are, the safer we will be." In today's tabletop exercise, we once again assessed our overall ability to respond to hybrid risks and threats through cross-ministerial and cross-disciplinary cooperation, discussion, and verification, thereby further enhancing Taiwan's security and defense resilience.

Today's agenda will begin with a report from Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) on the progress of items listed in the seventh committee meeting. This will be followed by a report from Deputy Secretary-General of the National Security Council Wen Lii (李問) on the results of this morning's tabletop exercise.

Next, I would like to invite all advisors and committee members to offer suggestions on items from this morning's exercise or areas where whole-of-society defense resilience can be strengthened. Let us work together to advance steadily toward our common goal. Thank you.

Following his statement, President Lai heard a report on the progress of items listed in the seventh committee meeting by Minister Liu, who also serves as one of the committee's executive secretaries, and a report on the tabletop exercise for conducting supply operations under conditions of high-intensity maritime coercion by NSC Deputy Secretary-General Lii. Afterward, President Lai exchanged views with the committee members regarding the content of the reports.