Taiwan Representative Urges European Democracies to Speak Out Against Chinese Coercion

(Central News Agency, New York, 3rd) Taiwan's Representative to the US, Yu Daxian, stated at a think tank forum in Washington D.C. on the 3rd that Taiwan needs the voices of European democratic friends, and it is very important for them to visit in person to show that Taiwan is not isolated and has international friends. He likened Taiwan to Hogwarts School from 'Harry Potter', a wonderful place that takes some effort to find.

Representative Yu spoke at the Atlantic Council forum titled 'Strengthening Cross-Regional Defense Partners: The Taiwan Strait and the Future', which was also attended by Lithuanian MP and former Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė.

Yu used the movie and TV series 'Star Trek' as a metaphor, saying Captain Kirk is a good person who shares the universal values, views, and well-being we cherish. He speculated that if Chinese President Xi Jinping watched 'Star Trek', he might see himself as the figure on the dashboard, a virtual entity that warns it will eliminate you if you don't sync.

He said that Taiwan and the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing are different people, so cooperation and collaboration among like-minded people is crucial, not just in policy but also in manufacturing. This is why Taiwan promotes a non-red supply chain and cannot become a victim of coercion, such as on rare earth issues.

Regarding how to integrate regional and European democratic friends to enhance regional defense, Yu pointed out that the most important thing is for European democratic friends to speak up for Taiwan, visit in person to show the public that Taiwan is not isolated, has international friends willing to confront Chinese coercion, and to come and state that they are friends of Taiwan.

He emphasized that Taiwan has lived under the coercion of the People's Republic of China for decades, facing long-term threats to its survival and political isolation. The Chinese Communist Party has become powerful and economically prosperous, but Taiwan has been excluded from the international arena and lost its advantage. It is like Hogwarts in 'Harry Potter' – it exists but is not there, requiring effort to find, but once you come to Taiwan, you will find it is a wonderful place.

He stated that Taiwan practices full democracy, is an economy of key technologies, the 4th largest trading partner of the US, and the 5th largest stock market in the world. Taiwan needs friends, and China has not actually helped them; instead, it is ambitious, not only towards Taiwan but also affecting Japan, the Philippines, and Australia. (Editor: Tian Ruihua) 1150604