The Kuomintang (KMT) stated today (July 13th) that although the situation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic is still up in the air, many in-person events are still suspended or cancelled altogether. However, in order to persistently let the international community know that Taiwan still has many different voices and opinions, the KMT will increase the frequency of its international-related activities, and thereby increase the agility and flexibility of the KMT’s diplomatic affairs.
For example, when the president of our ally Haiti was sadly assassinated last week, KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang immediately tweeted his condolences and wrote a letter expressing grief and sympathy to the government and people of Haiti. In another example, when representatives such as American Institute in Taiwan’s Taipei office Director William Brent Christensen, German Institute Taipei Director General Dr. Thomas Prinz, and Russia’s Moscow-Taipei Coordination Commission on Economic and Cultural Cooperation Representative Sergey Petrov were about to fulfill their tenures and leave office, Chairman Chiang called or wrote them all wishing them the best due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic; in addition to recognizing and thanking them for their efforts to deepen ties with the Republic of China (ROC) during their tenure, the Chairman also expressed his hopes that their countries and their people would maintain substantive relations with us, and that we would all be able to continue forging ahead by building upon existing foundations.
Furthermore, under the leadership of Chairman Chiang, who is himself a scholar of international relations, the KMT participated in the International Democrat Union online forum this past April, where the Chairman gave a speech. In early June, Chairman Chiang, accompanied by party officials, also exchanged ideas via video conference about the United States (US) Biden administration’s foreign policy, cross-Strait interaction, and other topics with numerous Taiwan scholars in the US. Finally, early this month, Chairman Chiang, with the assistance of the KMT Department of Overseas Affairs, video chatted with overseas KMT members from the American South Branch; the mood was warm and enthusiastic.
In mid-June, Chairman Chiang, who doubles as Chairman of the National Policy Foundation (NPF), held a meeting, arranged by the NPF, via video chat with US and Japanese scholars and former officials regarding the present-day situation in and other important topics on the Indo-Pacific region.
Also, due to pandemic prevention considerations, the KMT Department of International Affairs’ (DIA) originally planned international democracy salons were temporarily suspended. In July, the DIA has intensively planned a series of online forums, speeches, and workshops, with subjects ranging from Japan’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) policy; the development of Taiwan and Southeast Asian; and other topics regarding Taiwan, South Asia, the Biden administration’s foreign policy, as well as Taiwan-US relations. Participants, in addition to DIA and NPF personnel, also included both domestic and international scholars, specialists, and individuals from various political parties.
Chairman Chiang stated, “The KMT is reinventing itself with the right people who are bringing about this resurgence. With the right talent, we will have productive ways of thinking and productive ways of doing things. Moreover, the KMT should proactively let the international community know what we’re doing and how we can help foreign nations. Neither lack of resources nor a global pandemic can topple the KMT’s determination to make a comeback on the international stage.”
