New Southbound Policy Portal

Premier Cho Jung-tai (front, fifth left) and APGML’s Acting Executive Secretary David Shannon (front, third right) attend the opening ceremony of the 2024 Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering assessor training workshop Oct. 21 in Taipei City. (Courtesy of Executive Yuan)
 

Premier Cho Jung-tai said that Taiwan is committed to collaboration with other nations to effectively combat crime and uphold global security and stability.

Cho made the statement while attending the opening ceremony of the 2024 Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering assessor training workshop Oct. 21 in Taipei City. Taiwan joined the APGML as a founding member in 1997 and this was the first time that the country has held the five-day event, the premier said.

During the seminar, experts from Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Taiwan shared knowledge and experience on prevention of money laundering, financing terrorism and dealing with large-scale destructive weapons. Cho also extended a sincere welcome to David Shannon, APG’s acting executive secretary and participants from 17 countries.

The government has placed strong emphasis on preventing money laundering and financing terrorism to safeguard society, shown by the fact that Taiwan ranked as having regular follow-up of such crime in APGML mutual evaluation in 2019.

The premier said that to promote stricter governance and more effective law enforcement, new strategies would be adopted. These include legal adaptation, including the implementation of a Money Laundering Control Act and a Fraud Crime Prevention Act, to more efficiently prosecute such crime.

A second strategy is control of criminal behavior through use of digital tools by agencies such as Coast Guard Administration, police stations, prosecutors’ offices and other bodies. Educating the public on identification of disinformation as well as proactive measures by  financial institutions to prevent scams is also vital.

Global cooperation is also an effective tactic, as evidenced by recent seizure of transnational fraud call centers through joint investigations by Taiwan and the U.S. 

Prevention of money laundering is a common international goal shared by Taiwan and Cho concluded by expressing hope that the APGML would hold further events in Taiwan. (POC-E)