Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu (right) talks with Sam Sachdeva, reporter from New Zealand site Newsroom, April 19 in Taipei City. (MOFA)
 

Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu lauded the warmth of the bond between Taiwan and New Zealand and called for deeper cooperation in the face of authoritarianism during an interview April 19.

The minister also discussed further exchanges on education and Indigenous cultures while speaking with Sam Sachdeva from the online media outlet Newsroom for an article released April 22 entitled “Taiwan wants NZ support to counter ‘expanding authoritarianism.’’’

Wu said that Taiwan and New Zealand both value democracy, freedom, human rights and the rule of law highly, adding that the 2013 agreement on economic cooperation has laid a solid foundation on which to continue building the bilateral relationship.

The minister further reiterated Taiwan’s commitment to joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, citing economic and trade reforms the country has carried out to meet the organization’s high standards. He urged current CPTPP members like New Zealand to judge candidates on their merits and actions, rather than being swayed by political considerations.

Wu also mentioned that Taiwan would be glad to share with New Zealand’s nongovernmental organizations and academic institutions the tools it has developed to fight disinformation as another way to mitigate China’s threats to security in the Pacific in recent years.

In terms of national security, the minister said that Taiwan would maintain its responsible approach to the cross-strait status quo and continue to improve its self-defense capabilities as a deterrent against attacks from China. (POC-E)