TAIPEI, (TaiwanToday) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) welcomed the Forum for Democratic Cooperation that got underway May 26- 28 in Taipei City, adding that the event reflects the status of Taiwan’s vibrant democracy. This follows the 61st APEC SME Working Group Meeting and the APEC Startup Alliance Forum – Taiwan delegation attending two Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation events, May 20-22 in Seoul, South Korea, to share experience in promoting small and medium enterprises.
Forum for Democratic Cooperation in Taipei
The three-day conference was jointly organised with Prague-based Forum 2000 Foundation and Taipei-based Taiwan Foundation for Democracy and Thinking Taiwan Forum.
The event featured 60 key political figures, nongovernmental organisation representatives and think tank experts from Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific. Notable participants include Tuvaluan foreign minister Paulson Panapa, former Filipino foreign minister Delia Albert and Community of Democracies secretary -general Mantas Adomėnas.
The event featured remarks by Forum 2000 Foundation executive director Jakub Klepal and foreign minister Lin Chia-lung, two panel discussions, and a public forum themed “The Future of Democratic Strength: Trust, Resilience, and Cooperation.”
Discussions focused on how democracies can enhance resilience, rebuild public trust and cooperate more effectively in a changing geopolitical landscape, with particular attention on the role of small- and medium-sized democracies beyond great-power rivalry.
One of the most important think tanks in Central and Eastern Europe, the Forum 2000 Foundation was created by former Czech president Václav Havel in 1996 as a platform for dialogue on democracy, human rights and cultural issues.
“This marks the first large-scale forum held in Asia by a major European think tank, adding that the event will help deepen Taiwan’s connection with its democratic partners and underscores its key status as an exemplary democracy in the Indo-Pacific,” MOFA said.
Taiwan shares SME experience at APEC
Meanwhile, a Taiwan delegation attended two Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation events, May 20-22 in Seoul, South Korea shared their experience in promoting small and medium enterprises.
According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Small and Medium Enterprise and Startup Administration:
“The group spotlighted Taiwan’s success in advancing startup incubation, financial resilience and digital transformation in SME and micro enterprises, the administration said, citing as an example a government procurement policy designed to help startups gain business access to the public sector,” stating, “With the ongoing global supply chain restructuring and rising economic uncertainties, the SMESA said financial resilience is key to maintaining operations and expanding market presence for micro and SMEs. It added that government measures in this regard include interest subsidies, credit guarantees and other financing support.”
The administration also briefed on the current state of the Ten Major Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Projects, a digital development policy to assist all forms of business to adopt AI to enhance efficiency and quality.
“A presentation by Taiwan’s Chimes AI, Inc., outlined how the public and private collaboration model helps develop AI applications for firms in a wide range of sectors,” the SMESA added. “The delegation also invited audiences to take part in the “APEC Conference—Unlocking SME Potential through AI” event, set to take place June 5 in Taipei City, to promote regional economic resilience and prosperity.