President Lai receives IPAC delegation
2025/08/29
President Lai ching-te said Aug. 27 that Taiwan is committed to enhancing its national defense capabilities while strengthening cooperation with other democracies to deter authoritarian expansion.
Lai made the remarks while meeting with a delegation from the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China at the Presidential Office in Taipei City.
The president thanked the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China for its continued support of Taiwan, noting its annual conference held in July in Taipei and the passage of a model resolution on U.N. General Assembly Resolution 2758. He said parliaments in the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and the U.K., as well as the European Parliament, have since adopted measures backing Taiwan.
Lai added that IPAC’s support remains strong this year, citing its response to China’s April military exercise and exchanges with Taiwan’s delegation during the Copenhagen Democracy Summit in May.
According to the president, China continues to conduct disinformation campaigns and military intimidation against Taiwan and neighboring countries, seriously jeopardizing regional peace and stability. The government has decided to increase the country’s defense spending to 3.32 percent of gross domestic product as defined by North Atlantic Treaty Organization standards next year, which will be further increased to 5 percent by 2030, he said.
Taiwan will also work with other democratic countries to build more resilient supply chains in the artificial intelligence and energy sectors, Lai added. He expressed his hope for IPAC to leverage transnational parliamentary networks to call on more partners to safeguard regional and global democracy, peace and prosperity.
In response, IPAC Co-chair Iain Duncan Smith said the alliance is urging governments worldwide to address the growing alignment of authoritarian regimes. He concluded by noting that IPAC will hold its annual meeting in Belgium in November and urged all countries to work together to tackle challenges and defend Taiwan’s freedom and democracy.
Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)