DEFENSE/Taiwanese general's Poland visit in uniform shows closer ties

Taipei, Oct. 2 (CNA) A senior Taiwanese general's appearance in full uniform at a high-profile security forum in Poland signals closer security exchanges between Taipei and Warsaw and reflects Europe's growing concern over China's military ambitions, experts said Thursday.

Lt. Gen. Hsieh Jih-sheng (謝日升), deputy chief of the general staff for intelligence at Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND), attended the Warsaw Security Forum held Sept. 29-30 in the Polish capital. Photos and video released by the organizers showed Hsieh speaking onstage in full Taiwan Air Force uniform.

Chieh Chung (揭仲), an adjunct researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR), said the conference is a nongovernmental event that functions as "Track II diplomacy," bringing together military, security and academic figures from around the world.

Track II diplomacy refers to informal, unofficial contacts and dialogue conducted by non-state actors to facilitate communication and conflict resolution.

"If Polish authorities or other participants had been uncomfortable with seeing Hsieh wearing a uniform during his participation, he would have been in a suit," Chieh told CNA, adding that this shows the European country is attaching higher importance to Taiwan's security.

Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a division director at INDSR, said allowing a senior Taiwanese military official to appear in uniform and speak publicly demonstrated Europe's increasing trust in Taipei.

It shows that European countries are recognizing the military threats posed by Beijing and the strategic importance of Taiwan, Su said.

The MND told CNA that Hsieh was invited to share perspectives and exchange experiences with international security experts, adding that the ministry seeks to raise global awareness of Taiwan Strait security issues through such forums.

According to Reuters, Hsieh said during his speech that Taipei is closely watching the war in Ukraine. "We wish for their victory," he said in English. "There are many things that we can learn from the Ukrainian theatre that we can elevate for our overall readiness. The defeat of Ukraine will signal that China can take more aggression towards Taiwan."

Taiwan's Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) also spoke at the forum, calling for deeper economic cooperation between Europe and Taiwan to boost shared prosperity and innovation.