Concluding remarks by Vice Minister Li-kuo Chen at the Taiwan session of the IPAC annual summit 2024

Concluding remarks by Vice Minister Li-kuo Chen at the Taiwan session of the IPAC annual summit 2024

• Data Source：Department of European Affairs
• Date：2024-07-30

Li-kuo Chen

Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs

Republic of China (Taiwan)

July 30, 2024

(As Prepared for Delivery)

Ladies and gentlemen:

Good afternoon!

First, thank you for inviting me to join the Taiwan session. I would like to express my gratitude to IPAC for hosting the 2024 annual summit here in Taiwan. Today we have with us nearly 50 parliamentarians from over 20 countries and European Parliament, the largest delegation of lawmakers to have visited Taiwan in recent years. Your attendance showcases your support of Taiwan. We are glad we are not alone.

It is a privilege to be here representing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to address the critical issue of China's misrepresentation of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 and the negative ramifications this has on peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and on the global economy.

The discussion has provided many valuable insights. I want to extend my appreciation to Mr. Butikofer and all the speakers and participants for your contributions. I would like to draw particular attention to the points made by Ms. Glaser and Dr. Teer. Thank you both very much.

On behalf of Minister Lin Chia-lung, I want to thank IPAC for your work to expose China's distortions of UNGA Resolution 2758 and for your backing of Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations. Your unwavering support is of paramount importance to the survival of Taiwan's democracy and our 23 million peace-loving people.

China's malicious misrepresentation of the UN resolution to falsely claim that Taiwan is part of China is aimed at depriving the Taiwanese people of their right to participate in international fora to address such critical issues as health, civil aviation, climate change, and transnational crime. Without access to international mechanisms, Taiwan is left alone to face tremendous challenges. Moreover, Taiwan is unable to contribute its expertise to resolve these issues. Your support for Taiwan's inclusion in international affairs will be always remembered by the Taiwanese people.

China's distortions of UNGA Resolution 2758 also undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. If we concur with China's distortions, we accede to China's false sovereignty claims over Taiwan, which gives China the unsubstantiated legal basis for future aggression against Taiwan. This could lead to the obstruction of the free flow of goods through the Taiwan Strait and undercut the semiconductor supply chain, of which Taiwan is the core. No country would be immune to the dire economic fallout caused by China's aggression. The economic ramifications of such an action would be twice that of the 2008 global financial crisis and more than five times that of the Ukrainian war.

A strong, resilient, and well-connected Taiwan is the best deterrent to the threat China poses to the world. To ensure this, Taiwan asks that you all continue to urge your governments to refute China's misrepresentation of UNGA Resolution 2758 and to collaborate more closely with Taiwan.

As has been pointed out by the German intelligence service, Russia is the storm and China is climate change. Russia's aggression against Ukraine is nothing compared to the devastating consequences of a Chinese attack on Taiwan, which could occur if China sensed cracks in the solidarity of the global democratic community. Your steadfast support of Taiwan is therefore essential.

As a responsible stakeholder in global and regional security, Taiwan will implement President Lai Ching-te's Four Pillars of Peace action plan, which stresses enhancing Taiwan's asymmetric defense capabilities, economic security, partnership with allies, and principled cross-strait leadership to maintain the status quo.

As we move forward, we will continue to need your staunch support. Together, we can safeguard democracy, freedom, human rights, and the rules-based international order we all cherish. Building a democratic shield will help create the future we prefer.

And now, I will close by wishing you all good health and your respective nations continued prosperity.