President Lai Ching-te sent a letter Jan. 31 to Pope Francis in response to his message marking the 58th World Day of Peace.
In the letter, the president expressed support for the papal plea that the global community initiate a cultural shift that would bring an end to governing interpersonal and international relations through exploitation and oppression and herald true and lasting peace.
According to Lai, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and convergence of authoritarian regimes threaten the rules-based international order and severely impact peace and stability both in the Indo-Pacific and around the world. Echoing the pope’s belief that war means defeat for all, Lai said the international community has reached consensus on upholding cross-strait peace and stability, adding that Taiwan is committed to safeguarding its freedom, equality, democracy and respect for human rights.
Taiwan is proactively implementing values-based diplomacy and the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project to accelerate the development of allied nations, Lai said, adding that the country helps alleviate poverty by strengthening basic infrastructure, transferring technology and cultivating talent.
In response to the pope’s call for a new global financial framework jointly addressing climate change, food crises and other challenges, Lai expressed hope that international organizations will stop excluding Taiwan for political reasons. Taiwan is willing and able to shoulder its international responsibility to contribute and share its valuable experience through global platforms, he added.
The president concluded by saying that Taiwan will continue to collaborate with the Holy See to advance world peace through concrete action while jointly upholding the core values of justice, democracy, freedom and peace.
Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)
