Lai calls for democratic cooperation amid authoritarian threats

Taipei, July 22 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Tuesday called for deeper cooperation among democracies in the face of growing authoritarian threats, during separate meetings with visiting European and Irish parliamentary delegations.

Speaking to members of the European Parliament's Special Committee on Foreign Interference in all Democratic Processes (EUDS) in Taipei, Lai underscored the need for democracies to share experiences and collaborate on cybersecurity, media literacy and societal resilience.

Lai's meetings with the two delegations were held behind closed doors, and the Presidential Office issued press statements featuring remarks from both Lai and the visiting parliamentarians after the meetings.

The president noted that both Taiwan and the European Union have been targets of "information interference" and "infiltrations from external forces" aimed at swaying elections and sowing social division.

On Taiwan's side, he said the government's efforts to build societal resilience have involved multiple areas of government -- including domestic and foreign affairs, defense and information security -- as well as collaboration with the private sector.

"The efforts made by democratic countries are not intended to confront anyone, but to safeguard their cherished way of life," the president said.

Echoing that sentiment, Nathalie Loiseau, chair of the EUDS, said both Taiwan and the EU have faced similar threats, including disinformation, cyberattacks, and gray-zone tactics, referring to coercive actions that fall short of open armed conflict.

The EU and Taiwan should strengthen cooperation in countering such threats from authoritarian regimes, added Loiseau, whose group is tasked with monitoring threats posed by foreign actors attempting to interfere in democratic systems.

Loiseau is leading a delegation that also includes MEPs Engin Eroglu, chair of the Delegation for Relations with the People's Republic of China; Tomáš Zdechovský, Michał Wawrykiewicz, Kathleen Van Brempt, and Markéta Gregorová.

In a separate meeting later the same day with a cross-party delegation from Ireland, Lai stressed that Taiwan continues to prove itself a trustworthy democratic partner, especially as authoritarianism expands globally.

He made the remarks during a meeting with the delegation led by John McGuinness, deputy speaker of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish Parliament.

Lai highlighted shared values and alignment in technology and economic policies, expressing hope that Taiwan and Ireland can work together to build a values-based semiconductor supply chain.

McGuinness, who is leading a five-member delegation to Taiwan from July 20-26, noted that both sides can collaborate on artificial intelligence and expand bilateral trade.