Former President Says Taiwan’s Democracy a Vital Frontline Against Authoritarianism

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen arrives at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., on April 5, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Taiwan is on the frontline of assault by authoritarian countries, but its 23 million people stand firm in defending their democratic values and identity, former Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen told a conference in Prague on Monday.

“For more than half a century, Taiwan has faced constant intimidation from the Chinese communist regime, which has tried in every possible way to annex Taiwan, and those threats only intensified as Taiwan became an integral part of the international community,” Tsai said at Forum 2000.

Her speech was delivered against the backdrop of China’s large-scale war games near the island. The defense ministry in Taipei detected 125 Chinese fighter jets, 17 Chinese naval vessels, and 17 Chinese coast guard ships in the areas near Taiwan on Monday.

China characterized the drill, which involved its army, navy, air force, and rocket forces, as a test of its troops’ ability to launch coordinated attacks, and a “stern warning” to those who support Taiwan’s independence.

The Chinese Communist Party, which has never ruled Taiwan, considers the self-governed island as a renegade province and never ruled out the possibility of using force to control it.

In the face of actions like Monday’s drill, Tsai said Taiwan society and its leaders’ resilience have displayed pragmatism and resilience.

“In other words, the people of Taiwan demonstrated time and again, that democracy is a non-negotiable part of who we are,” she said. “It is also a part of our unwavering identity, even though safeguarding who we are has required courage and persistence.”

Tsai also highlighted Taiwan’s dedicated efforts to counter coercion and intimidation through security collaboration with like-minded allies, as well as various measures at home, including military reform, civil defense, and media literacy.

However, the global landscape is witnessing a resurgence of authoritarianism, she said. Tsai cautioned that leaders of authoritarian regimes seek to export their way of governing using tactics such as gray-zone activities, military threats and invasion, and cognitive and information warfare.

“Amidst all this, Taiwan stands on the front line of the assault,” Tsai said. “The most recent action taken is China’s announcement earlier today for a military exercise called ”Joint Sword-2024B.”

The Chinese military exercises launched four days after Taiwan celebrated its national day. The United States described the Chinese military drill as “unwarranted,” while the European Union said Beijing’s move “increases cross-strait tensions.”

Prague and Taiwan

Later on Monday, Tsai had meetings with the Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil and Marketa Pekarova Adamova, the speaker of the Czech lower house of parliament. During their meetings, they also paid tribute to Vystrcil’s late predecessor, Jaroslav Kubera, who passed away unexpectedly in January 2020 before his planned trip to Taiwan.

Tsai’s visit to Prague marks her first overseas trip since leaving office in May after completing two four-year terms as Taiwan’s president. Upon her arrival, the former Taiwanese leader called the Czech Republic one of Taiwan’s “most steadfast European partners.”

Despite a lack of formal ties, Prague has maintained a close relationship with Taipei, as Beijing ratchets up military threats against the island and Taipei seeks new friends in Eastern and Central Europe.

Czech President Petr Pavel and Tsai also spoke briefly at the opening of the Forum 2000 conference. The former Taiwanese leader sat through an opening speech by Pavel and a panel he was part of.

The annual Forum 2000 conferences, initiated by former Czech president Vaclav Havel, bring together leaders and thinkers from around the world to discuss democracy, human rights, and civil society.

In remarks to the conference on Monday, Pavel urged global powers, especially China, to leverage their influence to promote peace and international cooperation. Without making a direct reference to the war games China launched on the same day, he called on Beijing “not backing Russia’s violent campaign, but also showing restraint in the Taiwan Strait, and addressing human rights violations at home.”

Reuters contributed to this report.