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By Wu Che-yu and Sam Garcia / Staff reporter, with staff writer
In a historic first, Taiwanese officials participated in this year’s Riga Strategic Communications Dialogue in Latvia from Wednesday to Friday last week, which debuted a breakout session focused on Taiwan
The event organizer, the NATO Strategic Communications Center of Excellence, displayed Taiwan’s national flag and the officials’ formal titles on their Web site.
Taiwanese attendees included National Security Council (NSC) Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) and deputy head of the Taipei Representative Office in the UK, Chiang Ya-chi (江雅綺).
Photo courtesy of the Taipei Representative Office in the UK
In addition to the session discussing Taiwan titled “Taiwan: Navigating Strategic Communication in a Tense Environment,” the dialogue also included sessions discussing Japan and the Indo-Pacific region, reflecting NATO’s growing attention to the region in the past few years, the NSC said.
During the session, Lin said China’s strategic communication objectives are to undermine solidarity among democratic allies by amplifying division, while also using economic and diplomatic intimidation to create an international environment that discourages engagement with Taiwan.
The goals of China’s cognitive warfare against Taiwan is to erode Taiwanese confidence in democracy and the government, weaken trust in international partners, such as the US, and isolate Taiwan, Lin said.
He emphasized that China is disrupting the “status quo” and that its ambitions go beyond annexing Taiwan to breaking through the First Island Chain and becoming the dominant power.
Taiwan would continue to work with like-minded countries and seek fair opportunities to participate in international forums so that Taiwan’s voice can be heard, he said, urging the international community to not be constrained by Beijing’s narratives and forgo engaging with Taiwan.
Chiang gave three examples illustrating that unity promotes shared prosperity, including Taiwan’s daily COVID-19 briefings, which built public trust and improved compliance by providing transparent information.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp’s (TSMC, 台積電) early decision to focus on semiconductor foundry services despite limited resources and uncertainty also showed how clear conviction can shape action and long-term direction, Chiang said.
Lastly, while emphasizing the importance of cultural communication, she said the International Booker Prize-winning novel Taiwan Travelogue showed that while literature might seem fragile in the face of military force, it will always be able to communicate ideas and values.
Taiwan’s integrated diplomacy combines strengths across all sectors of society and emphasizes mutually beneficial relationships to bring prosperity, Chiang said.
Maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait serves everyone’s interests, and Taiwan is not seeking to change the “status quo,” but working to be a trusted partner in the international community, she added.
Chiang closed by echoing Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs Baiba Braze’s words that the freedom and rights we cherish are worth fighting for.