Undersea Cable Damaged; Taiwanese Foreign Minister Calls for Increased Collaboration Among Democratic Countries.

On February 5, 2025, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Joseph Wu, hosted a luncheon to welcome a delegation from Estonia’s defense industry to Taiwan. Minister Wu emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation between democratic countries in light of recent events such as the expansion of authoritarian regimes and incidents of underwater cable damage in the Baltic Sea and off the coast of Taiwan.

Minister Joseph Wu warmly greeted the delegation from Estonia’s defense industry on the 4th. The delegation was led by Kristo Enn Vaga, Chairman of the Estonia-Taiwan Friendship Group in the Estonian Parliament, and included senior parliamentarian Kalle Laanet, who had served as Minister of Defense, Interior, and Justice, as well as representatives from the defense industry. The two sides exchanged views on topics such as innovation cooperation in Taiwan’s defense industry, societal resilience, and the situation of the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Minister Wu mentioned that both Taiwan and Estonia have experienced authoritarian rule in the past and therefore cherish the hard-won freedoms and democracy. With the expansion of authoritarian systems in recent years, ongoing conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, Chinese military exercises in the waters around Taiwan, coupled with reports of cable damage in the Baltic Sea and off the coast of Taiwan, it is clear that democratic countries need to enhance their cooperation.

Furthermore, Minister Wu noted that in November of last year, a delegation from the “Taiwan UAV Industry” visited Lithuania to demonstrate the shared determination of like-minded countries to establish a democratic supply chain. The visit by the Estonian defense industry delegation was seen as a positive step towards further expanding potential areas of cooperation between the two nations.

Chairman Kristo Enn Vaga expressed concerns that failure to develop supply chains with like-minded partners could pose potential threats to national security. Given the daily onslaught of vast amounts of misinformation targeting both Taiwan and Estonia, as well as recent incidents of underwater cable damage in both countries, he urged the democratic camp to unite and collectively address various threats and challenges. Chairman Vaga pledged to continue promoting the development of the Taiwan-Estonia relationship in the future.

During the luncheon, Minister Wu expressed gratitude to representatives from companies such as Hsinchu Biomedical and Taiwan OCare for jointly donating 1.11 million masks to Ukraine and Estonia during the visit of Chairman Vaga’s delegation, showcasing Taiwan’s spirit of humanitarian assistance. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Steve Wu, represented Minister Wu at the donation ceremony.

Steve Wu stated, “Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, Taiwan has actively cooperated with like-minded countries to provide assistance to Ukraine. Last June, our representative office in Latvia signed a contract with the Estonian Development Center (ESTDEV) and donated 1.1 million euros to assist in the construction of housing for Ukrainian orphans. It is heartening to see Taiwanese businesses demonstrating corporate social responsibility, showing that Taiwan is a force for good in the international community. Both Chairman Cheng Yongzhu of Hsinchu Biomedical and Chairman Chen Yongzhi of Taiwan OCare responded to Deputy Minister Wu’s call, expressing their willingness to cooperate with the government in providing aid to Ukraine.”

This luncheon and donation event exemplified the deepening ties between Taiwan and Estonia and underscored the shared commitment to promoting democratic values and cooperation in the face of common challenges.