Taiwan's Lai warns of authoritarian threats at UNGA side event

Taipei, Sept. 24 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Wednesday warned that the expansion of authoritarian regimes is undermining the international order and urged democracies to strengthen cooperation in response.

In a prerecorded address to the 2025 Concordia Annual Summit, Lai said the "international order is being undermined" as "geopolitical tensions rise and authoritarian regimes converge and expand."

"Democratic societies are now more heavily targeted by disinformation and other forms of external interference, posing a serious challenge to global peace," he said in the remarks broadcast at the summit on Wednesday night (Taipei time).

The president called for unity among democracies, noting that "deepening democratic partnerships is the sole path to maintaining lasting peace and building a stable and prosperous world."

Lai also expressed Taiwan's desire to continue working with the international community despite being excluded from the United Nations.

Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, lost its U.N. seat to the People's Republic of China in 1971 and has since been barred from participating in the world body and its affiliated agencies because of Beijing's objections.

"While Taiwan is not included in the U.N. system, we have consistently proven through our actions that Taiwan is a reliable partner in the international community," he said.

Taiwan is working to strengthen democratic alliances, reinforce global supply chain resilience and boost the country's defense capabilities as China steps up its "military intimidation, information warfare and other compound threats," Lai said.

"Our position is clear: to make Taiwan even more resilient and secure so that the global defense of democracy is even stronger," he added.

Lai's pre-recorded address marked the second time he has spoken as Taiwan's president at the Concordia summit, a forum that convenes world leaders, business executives and civil society figures annually during the U.N. General Assembly week.

This year's summit is held from Sept. 21-24 in New York, featuring speakers such as U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May.

According to organizers, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) serves as the Core Programming Partner for the 2025 summit.