INTERVIEW / Walesa warns of China threat, urges solidarity to end communist rule

Taipei, March 17 (CNA) Visiting Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former Polish President Lech Walesa warned Tuesday of China's threat to Taiwan while calling on Chinese-speaking countries to stand in solidarity to end communist rule.

In an interview with CNA, Walesa, who is in Taiwan primarily to speak at the government-funded Yushan Forum, said his trip was also meant to show support for Taiwan and let its people know he stands with them.

Though Poland and Taiwan are far apart geographically, he said he has closely followed Taiwan's development amid crises and challenges, including those posed by China, and he praised Taiwan for striking a balance and achieving significant progress despite intense pressure from Beijing.

As the world undergoes geopolitical shifts, Walesa believes the global order is being rapidly restructured and may be heading toward a unipolar system led by either the United States or Russia.

He warned that Taiwan could be used as a bargaining chip during the struggle for leadership in this emerging order.

"We don't want Taiwan to be taken away by China by force," he said through an interpreter. "We should instead help Taiwan and China work together to prevent Taiwan from being harmed."

If China were to take military action against Taiwan, it would result in major losses for both sides of the Taiwan Strait, he cautioned, urging instead that Chinese-speaking countries seek solidarity.

Asked how such solidarity could be achieved -- including whether cross-Taiwan Strait peace talks might help bridge differences -- Walesa said that if he had a clear answer, "I would have won another Nobel Peace Prize."

Taiwan must find its own most suitable path forward, he said, but he did cite his own experience leading the Solidarity trade union, which challenged Poland's communist regime through nonviolent means and helped pave the way for democracy.

That trade union movement, Walesa said, contributed to ending the post-World War II order.

He also cited the example of the European Union, which has largely eliminated internal borders and helped maintain peace in Europe for decades, while warning that achievements gained through violence or military force were unlikely to be sustainable, "even for a country as big as China."

An electrician by trade, Walesa rose to lead the Solidarity movement and spearheaded a successful pro-democracy effort that ended communist rule in Poland in 1989, contributing to the conclusion of the Cold War.

He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983 for his nonviolent leadership.

Walesa is in Taiwan to attend the 2026 edition of the two-day Yushan Forum, which opened Monday.

Launched in 2017, the forum aims to strengthen Taiwan's engagement with partners under the New Southbound Policy introduced by former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) in 2016 to boost trade, investment, and people-to-people ties with 18 countries across ASEAN, South Asia, and Oceania.

Over the years, the annual event has expanded to include a broader range of global partners.