Resilience Forum in Taipei
REPORTER:
For the second year in a row, the Presidential Office is hosting an international forum on Taiwan's resiliency and sustainable democracy, bringing together speakers from around the world. This year's theme is the question "Are we Ready?" That goes for modern warfare, international cooperation, grey-zone tensions, and more.
REPORTER:
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te announced the creation of a new World Alliance for Disaster Management in his opening remarks at the resilient Taiwan for Sustainable Democracy International Forum Saturday.
Lai Ching-te (TAIWAN PRESIDENT):
Faced with rapidly changing international circumstances
and the continued escalation of threats from China
my responsibility as president is very clear
to make Taiwan better prepared and more capable
of maintaining the status quo
and to ensure that peace is not disrupted
by unilateral provocations.
Here today, Taiwan is also officially establishing
a new international organization
the World Alliance for Disaster Management, or WADM.
REPORTER:
Lai said 11 of Taiwan's diplomatic allies have signed on to the organization. Government agencies or disaster response organizations from 21 other countries joined as observers or partners.
Anduril Founder Palmer Lucky was also at the event. The US firm is a key supplier of drones for Taiwan’s military.
Palmer Lucky (FOUNDER, ANDURIL):
Taiwan needs to ask the same questions about deterrence, not what's next, but what the final stage of Taiwan's deterrence will look like, one that will persist for years, decades, centuries, and then start working towards that steady state
REPORTER:
Lucky also urged Taiwan to strengthen its domestic defense industry and become a major arms exporter, boosting its self-reliance to deter potential aggression from China – which claims Taiwan as part of its territory.
REPORTER:
Events like this show both Taiwan's partners and its people that it’s taking threats to the country seriously and is strengthening its defenses. While all eyes now look towards Washington DC for the upcoming Trump-Xi summit, Lai and the government will keep trying to ensure that the answer to "Are we Ready" is a strong yes.
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