Non-governmental organizations and their leaders have played an important role in expanding Taiwan’s international standing as Beijing stepped up its suppression on the global stage, Deputy Foreign Minister Tien Chung-kwang (???) said at a NGO forum in Taipei on Tuesday.
As China ramps up its “rhetorical and military threats against Taiwan” and “maliciously restricts Taiwan’s international space,” NGO leaders and other partners have been “valuable resources and key assets for Taiwan’s diplomatic efforts,” Tien said at the opening of the 2021 NGO Leaders Forum hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).
China has not only sought to exclude Taiwan’s government from participating in the United Nations system and other international organizations, it has also attempted to downgrade the status and rights of Taiwan’s civil society groups engaging in global affairs, Tien said.
However, “China’s bullying” has only yielded strong international support for Taiwan, Tien said. “Heavy-handed wolf-warrior diplomacy only serves to highlight the virtuous and positive values of Taiwan.”
By hosting the forum for the second consecutive year, MOFA looks forward to seeing more cooperation and exchanges between local and foreign NGOs in various areas such as human rights, gender equality, freedom of the press, and religious freedom, Tien said.
“We hope to continue to build partnerships with NGOs so that Taiwan’s soft power can be even more visible to the international community,” he added.
In a pre-recorded video, Denise Scotto, vice president of the International Federation of Women in Legal Careers, praised female leaders in Taiwan’s NGOs for their contributions to promoting gender equality in the country.
Without specifying any groups, Scotto added that these leaders had served as “role models for so many NGO representatives around the world” as well as “ambassadors” of Taiwan’s vibrant democracy.
Damon Wilson, president and CEO of the U.S. National Endowment for Democracy, described Taiwan as increasingly becoming a hub for democrats in the Asia-Pacific region where freedom was facing great pressure from rising authoritarianism.
“Taiwan is well-positioned to play a key role in sustaining civil society movements and human rights and democracy organizations seeking a base in an open society governed by freedom of speech and rule of law” at a time when democratic solidarity and cooperation needed more than ever, he said.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel