Lai Ching-te Hopes to Exchange with Democratic Partners at Yu Shan Forum

President of the Republic of China, Lai Ching-te, attended the opening ceremony of the 2025 Yushan Forum today (17th) and delivered a speech, expressing the government’s hope to deepen exchanges and cooperation with democratic partners, aiming to create regional stability and global prosperity.

During the opening ceremony of the “2025 Yushan Forum – New Southbound Plus: Taiwan, Indo-Pacific, and the New World,” attended by former Danish Prime Minister and Chairman of the Danish Democratic Union Foundation, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša, Keiji Furuya, the Chairman of the Japan-Taiwan Parliamentarian Friendship Association, and Raymond Greene, Director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Taipei Office, President Lai Ching-te stated that he welcomed friends from around the world to come together in Taiwan, demonstrating support for peaceful and stable Taiwan and the free and open Indo-Pacific region.

President Lai Ching-te mentioned that the Yushan Forum not only serves as an important platform for the “New Southbound Policy” but also, over the past eight years, has facilitated the participation of more than 3,600 individuals from Taiwan and 28 countries worldwide, deepening connections between Taiwan and various nations. The New Southbound Policy has achieved fruitful outcomes in economic and trade cooperation, talent exchange, resource sharing, and regional integration.

He emphasized that the future Yushan Forum will bear the significant mission of inheriting and transforming accumulated consensus into operational plans for close cooperation with regional countries and the execution of mutually beneficial projects with international partners. President Lai Ching-te expressed the anticipation for Taiwan to witness the new world from its perspective and be seen by the world in return.

Looking towards an era of comprehensive intelligence, this year’s government sessions at the Yushan Forum focused on topics including smart healthcare, intelligent transportation, and resilient chip supply chains, signifying Taiwan’s commitment to collaborating with other countries to confront challenges of the new era.

President Lai Ching-te highlighted that Taiwan, renowned for its democratic achievements and semiconductor industry among others, is poised to play a key role in the restructuring of the global democratic supply chain and economic order. He mentioned the acceleration of AI industry innovation, the transformation of Taiwan into an “Island of Artificial Intelligence,” and advancements in quantum technology and precision medicine to enhance industrial competitiveness and innovation.

President Lai Ching-te affirmed Taiwan’s industrial shift from focusing on “westward,” “southward,” and “northern” directions to confidently expand across the Pacific, reaching out to the Americas and beyond, aiming to establish a global presence while being rooted in Taiwan and marketing to the world.

He stressed the importance of continued global engagement, welcoming the world to Taiwan and vice versa. President Lai Ching-te reiterated gratitude for the support towards Taiwan and emphasized the collective efforts with democratic partners to strengthen non-red supply chains and digital solidarity to effectively address threats and challenges posed by authoritarian expansion.

Citing Yushan as Taiwan’s highest peak symbolizing the nation’s resilience, President Lai Ching-te emphasized the necessity to utilize the Yushan Forum for sharing experiences and laying a solid foundation for enhanced cooperation among nations, thereby contributing to regional stability and global prosperity during times of global transformation and change.