Taiwan welcomes any foreign organizations that focus on human rights and freedom issues to set up offices in Taiwan. That’s the word from the foreign ministry on Tuesday following last week’s announcement from the US government-sponsored Freedom House that it plans to open an office in Taipei.
The ministry says the move indicates that Taiwan is a hub for democratic freedom and a fortress for the protection of human rights in Asia.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Joanne Ou says the new office will help in expanding cooperation between Freedom House and other democratic and human rights groups in the Indo-Pacific region. Ou says Taiwan has seen more and more international NGOs setting up offices in the country. She says this not only reflects an affirmation of Taiwan’s open, free and democratic environment, but also helps connect Taiwan’s NGOs with the world.
Ou says since 2020, Taiwan has helped set up Taiwanese offices for international NGOs from the US, Germany, Czech Republic and Spain.