President: Democracies Should Cooperate to Build Resilience Against Transnational Repression

(CNA) President Lai Ching-te said today that authoritarian forces are eroding democratic societies through information manipulation, cyberattacks, and cross-border surveillance, posing a common challenge for all nations. He emphasized that democracies should work together to build resilience, and Taiwan will continue to strengthen its legal system and international cooperation to jointly counter transnational repression.

The Presidential Office released a press statement today, stating that the President delivered an opening address at the GCTF workshop on "Building Resilient Democracies to Counter Transnational Repression." He thanked partners such as Canada, the United States, Japan, Australia, and the United Kingdom for co-hosting this workshop with Taiwan through the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF). Experts and scholars from 29 countries gathered to exchange views and pool experiences to jointly safeguard the values of democracy, freedom, human rights, and the rule of law.

The President stated that in this era of change and challenges, the threats faced by democratic nations have surpassed traditional military and geographical boundaries. Authoritarianism, through emerging technologies and illicit financial flows, is systematically engaging in transnational repression, cross-border surveillance, cyberattacks, and information manipulation, attempting to divide societies, silence dissent, erode the sovereignty of democratic countries, and undermine social trust.

The President said that in the face of these complex challenges, no country can stand aside, nor should any country face them alone. When authoritarianism attempts to export fear, democratic societies should build resilience; when authoritarian forces attempt to divide unity, democratic partners should work hand in hand. This is precisely the core value of the GCTF as an international multilateral cooperation framework.

He mentioned that since Taiwan and the United States jointly established the GCTF in 2015, its scope of cooperation has continuously expanded, with Japan, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom successively joining as official partners. The GCTF has held over 100 international workshops to date, with more than 10,000 experts and government officials from 134 countries participating, continuously promoting global partner cooperation. Topics have covered public health, information security, and semiconductor supply chains, among others. Transnational repression, the focus of this workshop, is also a common challenge for all countries.

The President stated that Taiwan, having experienced dark years of authoritarian rule, deeply understands the value of freedom and human rights. Therefore, it actively promotes digital democracy and open government, strengthens collaboration between the government, civil society, and local communities, builds societal defense resilience, and enhances democratic resilience. In the face of transnational repression, Taiwan has also established inter-agency mechanisms, comprehensively reviewed relevant legal systems, and strengthened response measures, focusing on prevention, protection, and counteraction.

The President pointed out that disinformation and cognitive warfare often become tools to suppress dissidents and divide society. Through inter-departmental cooperation, technological applications, and the establishment of real-time clarification zones by government agencies, the public's ability to discern factual information and their security awareness are enhanced, preventing them from falling into traps of transnational repression or threats.

He said that protecting citizens is the fundamental responsibility of the government. For citizens abroad who experience cross-border harassment, intimidation, or repression, the network of overseas missions is mobilized to provide emergency assistance and necessary support. For citizens within the country, efforts are made to provide protection, and the legal system is being improved to ensure perpetrators receive due punishment.

The President stated that international exchange and cooperation are also being strengthened to counter authoritarian coercion. The European Parliament passed a resolution in June to counter transnational repression. Taiwan supports the EU in strengthening its response mechanisms and will continue to work with the EU and other like-minded countries to jointly build a secure and trustworthy information environment, creating more timely early warnings, more effective accountability, and a more comprehensive protection network to safeguard national and public security.

The President emphasized that democracy, peace, and prosperity are Taiwan's connections to the world. Taiwan will continue to share its experiences with other countries through the GCTF, making democracy more resilient and human rights more secure, contributing to global peace and prosperity. (Editor: Lin Chia-han) 1150623

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