Taiwan’s foreign minister and Czech president attend European summit on the same stage | Taiwan News
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Foreign Minister Joseph Wu addressed the summit on Wednesday (June 14), calling on democracies to unite in support of Taiwan.
Czech President Peter Pavel delivers opening remarks at the European Values Summit 2023 hosted by Czech think tank European Security Policy Values Center (EVC). According to the foreign ministry, Pavel stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and ensuring democracy and freedom in Taiwan.
Pavel stressed the importance of democracies avoiding dependence on China, as Chinese values are incompatible with democracies. He called on democratic countries to unite, support the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, and not allow it to be changed in a one-sided and coercive manner.
Pavel delivered an opening speech. (Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
After Pavel, Mr. Wu took the stage and delivered a speech entitled “One Theater, One World, One Vision”. He addressed major world events such as the war in Ukraine, warned of the threat posed to democracies by authoritarian expansion, and called on democracies to unite in support of Taiwan.
exist a tweet EVC director Jakub Janda wrote in a post during the event that it was “the first time in the history of diplomacy” that a NATO head of state was openly in the same room as Taiwan’s foreign minister at an official international event. Leaders at the summit were discussing the “China threat,” Janda said, noting Reuters’ description of Wu’s visit as a “diplomatic breakthrough.”
According to China News Agency, this marked the first time that the leader of a European non-diplomatic ally and Taiwan’s foreign minister “shared the stage” at a public event. The news agency quoted Woo as saying that it was “very touching” for Pavel to stand up for Taiwan in front of Taiwanese diplomats, an “unforgettable experience” during his tenure as foreign minister.
Mr. Wu delivered a speech. (Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
