On February 26th, 2025, the European Values Center Taiwan Office held the 4th edition of the Czechia–Taiwan Forum. Taiwanese government representatives, Czech experts, and speakers from Ukraine and Slovakia participated in the event, which emphasized the cross-national nature of challenges faced by democracies today. This flagship event format of our Taiwan Office is a tangible manifestation of our commitment to amplify Central European voices in debates about expanding Taiwan’s international space.
During his opening speech, Mr. Jared Lin, Deputy Director-General of the Department of European Affairs, R.O.C. (Taiwan) Ministry of Foreign Affairs, asserted, “Taiwan will always stand shoulder to shoulder with the Czech Republic and like-minded partners to defend democracy, resist threats, and build a world where freedom prevails.”
The speakers emphasized the importance of joint efforts by democracies to support Ukraine and bolster cooperation amid ongoing shifts in the geopolitical landscape. While experts appreciated the differences between Taiwan and Czechia, they also highlighted the potential for exchanging normative and pragmatic lessons for deterring authoritarian influence amid growing challenges to the international rule-based order and the perils of democratic backsliding.
“Even though addressing the challenge of authoritarian spillover and gray zone warfare is no easy feat, at the end of the day, we need to know our ABCs: agility – to adapt to the evolving threat landscape; bravery – to take on novel challenges; and cooperation – because we can’t fight this fight alone,” says EVC Taiwan Office Head Marcin Jerzewski.
