Legislative Yuan President You Si-kun (third right) and Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu (third left) are joined by Taiwan lawmakers during the virtual APPU Meeting Feb. 2 in Taipei City. (MOFA)

Taiwan is willing and able to cooperate with like-minded members of the global community in defending freedom and democracy throughout the Indo-Pacific, according to Legislative Yuan President You Si-kun Feb. 2.
 
Promoting regional peace and prosperity requires deepeer alliances among democracies spanning such areas as diplomacy, economy, military and technology, You said. This commitment extends beyond borders and party affiliations, he added.
 
You made the remarks as the head of the Taiwan delegation taking part in the 50th General Assembly and 84th Council Meeting of the Asian-Pacific Parliamentarians’ Union. Staged virtually due to coronavirus, first reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019, the events involved lawmakers from 11 countries.
 
Eight of the delegations, including Taiwan, were led by the speakers of their respective parliaments. These included ROC (Taiwan) allies Marshall Islands, Nauru and Tuvalu, as well as the Cook Islands and Thailand.
 
According to You, the composition of the Taiwan delegation—drawn from four political parties—underscores the determination of members to put affiliations and ideologies to one side in the name of the greater good.
 
You took the opportunity to praise the Japanese delgation for its exemplary efforts in hosting the events amid COVID-19. He also thanked Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Cabinet members and former PM Shinzo Abe for backing Taiwan’s bid for meaningful participation in international organizations like the World Health Organization.
 
Similar support consistently shown for the country by allies such as Honduras, Marshall Islands, Nauru and the Kingdom of Eswatini is deeply appreciated, You said. Taiwan takes heart from this recognition, and will continue sharing coronavirus-combating know-how and resources in keeping with the spirit of Taiwan Can Help, he added.
 
Tokyo-headquartered APPU was established in 1965 as an exchange platform among the legislative bodies of five founding members: Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea and Thailand. A total of 21 member states participate in the regional initiative. (DL-E)