TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s Representative to South Korea Liang Kuang-chung (梁光中) said he was eager to increase bilateral cooperation and safeguard Indo-Pacific regional peace and stability during a Double Ten Day celebration on Thursday (Oct. 6).
Liang emphasized that regional peace, stability, and prosperity are the common interests of Taiwan and South Korea, CNA reported. Taiwan will not provoke trouble or escalate conflicts. However, given China's military intimidation and coercion, its determination to firmly defend its sovereignty and national security will not change, he said.
In the future, Taiwan looks forward to continuing to work together with South Korea and other like-minded countries to safeguard universal values such as freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, Liang said. Taiwan is also eager to strengthen the economic resilience and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific, he added.
The representative said Taiwan urges the U.N. system to include the nation in relevant bodies, including the International Civil Aviation Organization, INTERPOL, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Liang expressed the hope that South Koreans would also voice support for Taiwan.
Liang pointed out the two countries are both models of democracy and economy in the Indo-Pacific. In recent years, bilateral exchanges and cooperation in various fields have grown steadily, he said, adding that total bilateral trade increased by 41.97% from 2021.
Additionally, Taiwan fully restored the visa-free entry treatment for South Koreans in September and will implement a "0+7" system of self-health management on Oct. 13. Taiwan looks forward to furthering achievements in bilateral economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, he said.
