President Lai addresses regional legislators’ general assembly

2025/09/01

President Lai Ching-te delivered an opening speech at the 53rd Asian-Pacific Parliamentarians’ Union general assembly Aug. 28 in Taipei City, reaffirming Taiwan’s commitment to promoting regional peace and prosperity.
 
According to the president, this year’s general assembly focuses on promoting sustainable economic development, social resilience and wide-ranging cooperation, which are all closely aligned with Taiwan’s development needs. It is vital to expand cooperation through the APPU platform to address challenges such as pandemic outbreaks, climate change and shifting geopolitics, he said.
 
Lai laid out ways in which Taiwan strives to work with other partners on safeguarding regional peace and stability, enhancing general cooperation with diplomatic allies and leveraging the APPU platform to strengthen relations with other countries in Asia.
 
He explained that one motivating force is the Four Pillars of Peace action plan, which bolsters national defense, builds economic resilience, enhances cooperation with other countries and engages in exchanges and cooperation with China on the condition of parity and dignity.
 
To demonstrate the government’s determination to maintain its own security and uphold regional peace and stability, Lai said Taiwan will devote more than 3 percent of its gross domestic product to defense spending in 2026 and bring that number to at least 5 percent by 2030, as defined by NATO.
 
The president said it is a great honor for Taiwan to host this year’s assembly. He thanked the APPU for providing a platform to engage in legislative diplomacy and expressed hope that APPU countries support all aspects of cooperation with Taiwan. 


Source:  Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)