Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said that Taiwan is at the forefront of the fight against authoritarian expansion in his keynote speech at the Doublethink Lab’s annual “China in the World” (CITW) summit on Tuesday. He also said that Taiwan faces China’s threats, political intimidation, and gray-zone tactics on a daily basis.
Wu pointed out that Taiwan will hold the presidential and legislative elections early next year and that China has been trying to influence the democratic process through different methods such as using military oppression, disinformation, and economic coercion among others. In response, Wu said that the government has established an inter-ministerial mechanism to counter false information.
In addition to strengthening policy communication in the public sector, Wu also highlighted the importance of public-private cooperation. Many non-governmental organizations, including Doublethink Lab, work to help build the capacity and resilience of civil society against false and malicious information.
According to Doublethink Lab, the CITW Summit brings together “a network of researchers, civil society members, as well as activists and journalists affected by China’s expanding global influence, to encourage dialogue and the exchange of ideas, and to promote new collaborations.”