Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-07-24
President Tsai Ing-wen says Taiwan stands on the front line defending
democratic values as China continues to use “sharp power” to influence the region. The president was addressing the Ketagalan Forum: 2018 Asia-Pacific Security Dialogue in Taipei on Tuesday.
Tsai said the challenge of today is to find ways to cooperate to protect joint interests in the face of economic, political and military coercion. She said China uses “sharp power” to influence its neighbors in the East Asia region. This is a term coined by the US-based National Endowment for Democracy, referring to the rising authoritarian influence in the world of China and Russia.
With regards to Taiwan, these include military exercises designed to intimidate, involving warplanes circling the island. Politically, China has prompted diplomatic allies to break ties with Taiwan and applies pressure to restrict Taiwan’s international participation. [FULL STORY]