Address by the Chairman of the Prospect Foundation,
Dr. Tan-sun Chen

October 11, 2017

Her Excellency President Tsai, His Excellency Vice President Guingona, His Excellency Vice President Binay, the Honorable Deputy Prime Minister Hyun, the Honorable Minister Aichi, the Honorable Minister Tamazawa, the Honorable Senator Wakabayashi, the Honorable Coordinating Minister Ramli, the Honorable Ambassador Burghardt, the Honorable Deputy Coordinating Minister Utomo, the Honorable Minister Kasit, the Honorable Secretary Yasay, Deputy Associate Administrator Schimpp:

Welcome to Taiwan for the Yushan Forum: Asian Dialogue for Innovation and Progress. The Prospect Foundation is tasked with organizing the Forum’s inaugural event. Being the chairman of this Foundation, I feel greatly honored and also bear a heavy sense of responsibility.

27 years have passed since the end of the Cold War. There is no longer a bi-polar world order. We are witnessing a globalized world of deepening multilateralism within multi-polarity. Scientific advances in Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, Robotic technology, 3-D Printing and other innovations, are bringing great changes to our economic and social organization. Facing the challenges from this new geopolitical order and the emerging economic system, Taiwan, as well as other communities in the Asia-Pacific, is busy searching for answers.

A world of multilateralism within multi-polarity means that world affairs will no more be dominated by special arrangements among a few big powers. Globalization also means that managing a country’s domestic problems could very well need cooperation, or even solutions, outside its national borders. For the Asian-Indo-Pacific area, we need to include All countries should we seriously want to deal with issues effectively. This also means that we need to find solutions for social, cultural, agricultural, technological issues, among others, that were not part of traditional political-economic discussions. We also have to seriously assess the problem-solving potential provided by recent technology development for the social complexity we face.

The Yushan Forum was set up for the purpose of enhancing regional communication in the areas of society, culture, technology, and youth engagement. It is intended to serve as a platform for regional dialogue, to promote interaction between Taiwan Southeast Asia and South Asia, and to encourage dialogue between public and private sectors and civil society. Resonating with the call for the “people-centered approach” of the New Southbound Policy, the Yushan Forum focuses on strengthening economic, social and cultural ties between Taiwan and the Asian-Indo-Pacific region. Briefly, the Yushan Forum is a regional dialogue based in Taiwan, embracing the Asia-Indo-Pacific region and open to the whole world.

As its title suggests, the Yushan Forum is a dialogue that belongs to Asia and is for Asia. The Yushan Forum intends to take advantage of innovative tools and methods to achieve progress in accordance with openness and freedom. For this, we invented a new word - “Partner-tunity”, which is composed of ‘partner’ and ‘opportunity’. We believe if we recognize each other as partners and work together, good opportunities will come. The first sub-theme for the first day’s conference is Partnership of Commitment. This highlights Taiwan’s commitment to the New Southbound Policy in areas such as the economy and trade, agricultural cooperation, educational exchange, and scientific research in health and technology. The sub-theme for the second day’s conference is Partnership for Connectivity. This will demonstrate how Taiwan’s vibrant civil society is connected with people and groups for social well-being in Southeast and South Asia.

I believe you will discover the vitality and zeal of Taiwan’s public and civil society in working with our Southeast Asian and South Asian friends over the next two days. I am also willing to listen to any suggestions our international friends might make.

A poster-VR exhibition on the first floor is provided for your pleasure. The “Southbound Experience Center” exhibits some of Taiwan’s efforts in working with our friends in Southeast and South Asia. I strongly encourage all of you to visit and experience it yourselves.

Once again, I welcome all of you to Taiwan. I am looking forward to fruitful discussion over the next two days.