Taipei: The organizers of an international security forum announced on Thursday that they selected Taiwan as the location for their first event outside North America to express support for democracy and freedom. "Taiwan is a vital democracy whose continued freedom and security is important not only to the people of Taiwan but to the security of the entire world," stated HFX President Peter Van Praagh at a press conference before the commencement of the two-day HFX Taipei.
According to Focus Taiwan, the HFX is a Washington-based organization that has hosted the Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia, Canada annually since 2009. Van Praagh explained, "Through HFX Taipei, I wanted to bring democracies to Taipei to see and understand why Taiwan deserves the international community's friendship and support." The event, concluding on Friday, includes meetings between Taiwanese government officials and foreign experts to explore ways to enhance cooperation and safeguard democratic societies.
UMC founder Robert Tsao, who co-organized the Taipei event, expressed his awareness of the HFX since the previous year and his satisfaction in seeing an organization supporting Taiwan instead of China. "Over the last year, the Halifax International Security Forum has sent invitations to many friends internationally, helping to attract friends from the United States, Japan, Europe and the rest of the world to Taiwan, to stand in solidarity for democracy, freedom, and shared values," Tsao noted.
By hosting the event in Taipei, Tsao aimed to convey to the world that while Taiwanese people may have differing political opinions, these differences do not compromise the nation's security. With concerns about the uncertainty brought by the second Donald Trump administration, Tsao emphasized that Taiwan needs to demonstrate its opposition to any annexation attempts from the People's Republic of China (PRC).
According to organizers, the event features both on-and-off record speeches from former government officials and scholars worldwide, including former Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and Akie Abe, wife of late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, focusing on issues pertaining to democracy, security, resilience, and partnership.