With the upcoming elections in the United States and the recent conclusion of the Fifth Plenum of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the political situation in Taiwan is causing concern. President Tsai Ing-wen convened a temporary national security meeting on Saturday (March 31) to discuss the current situation across departments. The president has directed the establishment of a task force to analyze and study the situation and to conduct a sandcastle projection of various situations for early deployment.
Vice President Lai Ching-de cancelled his public trip to Taitung in the morning, and the media found out that Tsai had convened an impromptu national security meeting on the current situation.
In the meeting, the spokesperson of the Presidential Office, Mr. Dalton Chang, stated that the national security meeting focused on the following issues: China’s military threats and regional security, the continued deepening of U.S.-Taiwan relations, the stabilization of cross-strait relations, Taiwan’s political and economic stability and security, and future economic development.
Mr. Carsten Chang pointed out that Tsai Ing-wen stated on the topic of China’s military threats that the PLA’s increasingly frequent military activities in the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea, and even the East China Sea have impacted the regional security situation, and that Taiwan, as a member of the region, will continue to do its part. As history shows, concessions and weaknesses never lead to peace, and only solid defensive resolve and strength can defend the homeland.
The President also made the following statements: The Department of Defense and the National Security Council (NSC) should be well informed of the recent military actions of the Communist military in the region, and should make careful assessments of the various possible threats and risks in order to be fully prepared. China will also continue to strengthen the modernization of its defense capabilities, enhance asymmetric warfare, promote national defense autonomy, and reform the reserve mobilization system in order to respond to military expansion and provocations on the other side of the Taiwan Strait.
Regardless of the outcome of the election, Taiwan’s primary goal in promoting U.S.-Taiwan relations is to continue to deepen relations with both the Republican and Democratic parties and to gain cross-party support for a democratic Taiwan.
The President instructed the National Security Council, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the U.S. Representative Office to continue to strengthen diplomatic efforts with the U.S., including effectively monitoring relevant developments, soliciting support for Taiwan from all sectors of the U.S. political spectrum, and steadily pursuing important ongoing policy initiatives.
Taiwan and the U.S. are allies in philosophy and values. We believe that the U.S.-Taiwan relationship will continue to strengthen and deepen on the basis of existing interactions and cooperation, and will not be affected by any uncertainties in the future.
In terms of cross-strait relations, Mr. Chamberlain pointed out that Tsai called on Beijing to initiate cross-strait dialogue.
The President said, “In the face of changes in cross-strait relations, we would like to reiterate that maintaining stable cross-strait relations is the common interest of both sides of the Taiwan Strait; both sides of the Taiwan Strait should discuss the way to live together in peace and coexistence with mutual respect and goodwill; we are willing to work together to promote meaningful dialogue between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait in accordance with the principle of reciprocity and dignity; and we hope that the Beijing authorities will also take up their relative responsibilities and facilitate this as soon as possible.
On the issue of Taiwan’s internal economic stability and security, Tsai ordered that in order to prevent external factors from affecting public security and social order, the Coast Guard, the Police Department and other relevant departments should do a better job of maintaining public security, preventing the spread of false information, and strengthening the security of infrastructure, so as to vigorously maintain our democratic system and free way of life.
In addition to strengthening supply chain cooperation in strategic areas as directed by President Su at the Executive Yuan meeting last Thursday, the President also stated that he would actively implement the Taiwan-U.S. Economic Dialogue and seek to resume the Taiwan-U.S. Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA). “In addition, the U.S.-Taiwan Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) will be opened for consultation, laying an institutionalized foundation for cooperation between the two sides. At the same time, the TIFA should be fully utilized to actively promote the establishment of supply chain cooperation networks between Taiwan and the U.S. in new southbound and Central and South American countries.
In addition to the President and Vice President and the Executive Director, the National Security Conference was attended by the heads of defense, foreign affairs, and related national security and intelligence agencies.
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