Failure by the international community to respond to perceived attacks on the sovereignty of other nations risks sending the wrong signal.
That was a message from the former Finnish Prime Minister of Finland at an event in Taiwan.
Sanna Marin was speaking at the opening of the 10th Ketagalan Forum in the Taiwanese capital.
The event, hosted by the Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research, focused on security issues in the Indo-Pacific region.
The gathering was timely with tensions in the region once again on the rise.
Comparisons have been drawn by some between the ongoing war in Ukraine, now entering its 5th year, and the perceived threat to the sovereignty of Taiwan.
The former Finnish PM, a keynote speaker at the event, said, “We need to understand that the matter of Ukraine, just like the matter of Taiwan, isn’t an issue of a single country. If we let countries like Russia attack an independent sovereign nation without serious and long-lasting consequences, it will set an example for others to use aggression to get what they want,” she added.
The majority of nations adhere to what is called the “one China policy” which, generally, means they recognize the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the sole legal government of China.
China sees self-ruled Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually be under Beijing’s control. It consistently claims Taiwan as its own territory and has not ruled out the use of force in reclaiming the small island across the Taiwan Straits.
However, Taiwan takes a very different view and insists it is distinct from the Chinese mainland, with its own constitution and democratically-elected leaders.
Taiwan has strong links to China, its biggest trading partner. And many Taiwanese have business and family connections across the strait. But over time, polls show that the number of people who identify as Taiwanese, as opposed to Chinese, has gone up.
The former Finnish PM, a keynote speaker at the one day event, said, “We need to understand that the matter of Ukraine, just like the matter of Taiwan, isn’t an issue of a single country.
“If we let countries like Russia attack an independent sovereign nation without serious and long-lasting consequences, it will set an example for others to use aggression to get what they want” said Marin, who was visiting Taiwan for the first time
Further comment came from Taiwan President Lai Ching-te who, notably, spoke out against China’s Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law which, he told the gathering, “infringes upon Taiwan’s sovereignty, and persecutes religions and minority groups.”
The president added, “The entire international community should come together and staunchly oppose this malicious law.”
The event was used to launch a campaign to express concern and counter China’s Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress.
Both the president and former Finnish PM spoke at the opening of the 10th Ketagalan Forum which was held at the Grand Hyatt Taipei on August 4. It was the 10th edition of the forum.
The event has become one of the premier international conferences on strategy and security in Taiwan.
Taiwan hoped the event might serve as a platform for fostering dialogue and cooperation among participants.
Other participants included the Prime Minister of Eswatini Russell Dlamini and Chairman Emeritus of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCaul.
The event was attended by 12 prominent political leaders, parliamentarians, scholars, and experts from nine countries across the Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America, and Latin America.
An event spokesman said, “Participants engaged with their Taiwanese counterparts in discussions on the practice of democratic resilience, construction of joint defenses for the Indo-Pacific region, and the shaping of non-red supply chains.”
Comments
9 responses to “New Law "Infringes on Taiwan’s Sovereignty" – Event Participants Claim”
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Seems like everyone’s got a degree in international law these days, eh? 🎓 Just what we need—another high-profile conference to remind us that the world’s a stage and we’re all just players in a geopolitical soap opera! 🍿
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Seems like we’ve all gathered to play “who’s more sovereign” at the Ketagalan Forum. Oh, but look out, I hear China’s been taking notes on how to throw a proper tantrum! 🤷♂️ #SovereigntyShowdown
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Seems like the former Finnish PM has cracked the code to international diplomacy: just sprinkle a bit of “sovereignty” on top and voilà, everyone’s suddenly interested! 🤷♂️🇫🇮 What’s next, a seminar on how to bake cupcakes while geopolitical tensions bubble over? 🍰
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Seems like a global summit in Taipei is the new must-have accessory for world leaders—who knew “infringing sovereignty” was the latest trend? 🤷♂️ Let’s just hope they don’t forget the snacks while they sort out who owns what! 🍕
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Seems like everyone’s rallying for Taiwan’s ‘sovereignty’ while sipping their lattes—good luck with that! ☕️🇹🇼 At this rate, we might need a map just to navigate who owns what! 😂
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Can’t wait for the next grand international conference on sovereignty, where the menu features a side of irony and the main course is delayed action. 🍽️ Just another day in the world of diplomacy, where everyone talks about unity while giving a wink to the “one China” policy. 🤷♂️
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Just what we needed—another international gathering where everyone agrees that respecting sovereignty is important while sipping overpriced lattes at the Hyatt. Who knew diplomacy could be so cozy? 😏🍵
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Isn’t it adorable how some leaders think a few speeches and hashtags can actually change the course of international policy? 🙄 “Sovereignty,” you say? Sounds a bit too fancy for the likes of us, mate!
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Imagine holding a summit to discuss sovereignty while half the attendees are probably Googling “how to pronounce Taiwan” – classic! 🤔 It’s like gathering everyone in a pub to debate whether to order a lager or a bitter, while the landlord keeps pouring them all pints of water. 🍺💧
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