Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Scott Busby, a senior official at the United States Department of State, praised Taiwan’s democratic achievements while calling for closer cooperation between their respective countries and Taiwan during a security forum in Taipei on Tuesday.
In his keynote speech made virtually during the 2021 Taiwan-US-Japan Trilateral Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue, Abe congratulated Taiwan’s people for the country’s successful transformation from a one-party state to a democratic one in just several decades.
“For the future generations, Taiwan, United States, and Japan have one common, important agenda — that is to never ever lose our faith, in freedoms, in human rights, in the rule of law,” he said.
Regarding the growing threat toward Taiwan from China, the former Japanese leader said this also posed dire challenges to the U.S. and Japan, which is why during his tenure he had tried to enhance Japan’s self-defense capabilities and work closer with the U.S. to provide security in the Indo-Pacific region.
“Lest we forget, weakness invites provocations. The three of us must spare no effort in building our capabilities in all domains, from under the sea, sea, surface, and airspace to cyber- and outer space to that end. Let us consider new ways of sharing our knowledge and technologies even more effectively,” Abe stressed.
He also called on Beijing not to take any military action in the region, saying that for a huge economy like China, it would be “economic suicide” to do so.
Moreover, Abe reiterated his personal support for Taiwan’s bid to join the Tokyo-led trade bloc, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
“I am proud that Taiwan will become a stronger guardian of our common values and it will be in the best interest of Japan, the United States, and indeed, the entire world,” he concluded.
In his virtual speech, Busby, acting principal deputy assistant secretary of the State Department Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, lauded Taiwan’s journey to democracy as a “wonderful story” to share with the world.
“It is remarkable how far Taiwan has come in less than 30 years from that time (during its previous authoritarian rule), showing the world how to build and sustain a democratic society. It shows that democracy can thrive in Asia, despite some who claim to the contrary,” he said.
Taiwan’s participation in last week’s Summit for Democracy hosted by President Joe Biden was strong evidence of Taiwan’s leading role in this regard, he said.
Busby went on to praise Taiwan’s leading global role in economic issues, healthcare, digital literacy, and overall prosperity, as well as combating disinformation.
The U.S. will continue to strengthen cooperation with Taiwan in addressing global challenges, deepening economic and trade ties, building the resilience of supply chains, and combating the COVID 19 pandemic, among other areas, he concluded.
This year’s virtual event took place under the title “Mapping the Democratic Agenda for the Next Generation.”
Organized jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prospect Foundation, other participants at this year’s annual one-day event included U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty, U.S. congresswoman Elaine Luria, and Keiji Furuya, chairman of the Japan-R.O.C. Diet Members’ Consultative Council, and member of Japan’s Diet (legislature).
Former U.S. national security advisor Robert C. O’Brien also addressed the dialogue.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel