President Tsai Ing-wen and Vice President Lai Ching-te gave pre-recorded remarks at the Global Taiwan National Affairs Symposium over the weekend. Tsai said the world is facing a challenge with the ongoing pandemic, and now the global situation is changing even more with the Russo-Ukrainian war and Taiwan becoming a focus of attention.

Tsai Ing-wen
President
We have shown the world that Taiwan has the resolve to safeguard its national security. We are also capable of making a contribution to freedom and democracy. More and more countries are now speaking out on behalf of Taiwan, supporting our meaningful participation in international organizations, so that we can work with the world together.

Lai Ching-te
Vice President
We should also unite and cooperate to safeguard Taiwan’s sovereignty, protect its democracy and ensure that Taiwan’s future is determined by the people of Taiwan, so that Taiwan would not become a second Ukraine.

Former U.S. national security adviser John Bolton, a longstanding friend of Taiwan, also gave a speech at the event. He noted that the current top priority for the U.S. in the Indo-Pacific region is to prevent China from expanding its influence, and that Taiwan was no longer struggling alone. Bolton argued that rather than abandoning its policy of "strategic ambiguity," the Biden administration should adopt more political and military measures to defend Taiwan. Bolton also reiterated the importance of having the United States give official diplomatic recognition to Taiwan. He also said the U.S. would offer Taiwan unlimited support with the cooperation of Japan and other Indo-Pacific allies.