TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF, 全球合作暨訓練架構) launched its workshop on building societal resilience on Tuesday (March 4), with President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) attending the opening ceremony.
President Lai emphasized Taiwan's robust information and communication technology capabilities, expressing his expectation to leverage these strengths to share Taiwan's experiences and contribute more to the international community. He thanked the United States, Japan, Australia, and Canada, the four GCTF partners, for their ongoing collaboration.
Furthermore, Lai explained that through GCTF, the scope of cooperation has expanded over the years, allowing countries to tackle emerging challenges together. He stated that global issues such as extreme weather, pandemics, energy crises, and authoritarianism pose significant threats to freedom-loving nations and require collective action.
Looking ahead, President Lai outlined three key initiatives. First, he plans to focus on civil training, strategic material inventory, and critical infrastructure maintenance, such as establishing the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee last year. Also, he stressed the importance of disaster preparedness, highlighting the American Institute in Taiwan's (AIT, 美國在台協會) collaboration with the Taiwan Development Association for Disaster Medical Teams.
Lastly, President Lai reiterated Taiwan's commitment to contributing to the international community, drawing inspiration from Japan's disaster support model.
The workshop was also attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung, AIT Director Raymond Greene, Canadian Trade Office Representative Jim Nickel, Deputy Representative of the Taipei Office of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Yo Takaba, and Australian Office Taipei Representative Robert Fergusson.
