President Tsai Ing-wen said Nov. 20 that Taiwan is on the front lines of the global fight against disinformation and will meet this challenge by strengthening cooperation with like-minded nations.
Democratic countries are facing growing nontraditional threats, as authoritarian regimes seek to take advantage of freedom of speech and the press to manipulate public opinion and divide societies, Tsai said.
Taiwan is committed to combating disinformation campaigns through working with international partners on advancing media literacy and defending the shared values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, she added.
The president made the remarks while receiving a delegation from Washington-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies at the Office of the President in Taipei City. Led by CSIS President and CEO John Hamre, the group is in country for a political and policymaking fact-finding trip.
According to Tsai, the dangerous phenomenon of disinformation campaigns targeting democratic societies has evoked global concern. She cited a recent TV interview in which American Institute in Taiwan Chairman James Moriarty said external powers have attempted to alter the debate and spread falsehoods about Taiwan’s upcoming local elections.
The government’s efforts to promote cooperation among freedom-loving nations at this critical juncture are evidenced by the media literacy workshop held last month in Taipei under the Taiwan-U.S. Global Cooperation and Training Framework, the president said.
This two-day event was attended by experts, officials and media representatives from 12 countries and territories, including Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu, Minister without Portfolio Audrey Tang, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Scott Busby and AIT Director Brent Christensen.
Tsai also welcomed acknowledgement of Taiwan’s geostrategic importance in the Indo-Pacific region as expressed by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission in its annual report to the U.S. Congress. She said the timely visit by the CSIS delegation will help promote exchanges and shed light on the nontraditional challenges facing democracies. (SFC-E)