S P E E C H E S
Thirty Years of Cooperation, and Counting ILHAN KHUCKYUK member of european parliament co-president, alliance of liberals & democrats for europe party
Speech delivered via video at the Opening Session of the CALD 30th Anniversary Public Conference on 9 September in Taipei, Taiwan I want to wish you many happy returns and I am personally sanctioned by Beijing, but congratulations on marking your 30th anbecause I truly believe that the Chinese niversary. Many things have changed in Communist Party poses the biggest geopothe last 30 years; the world has become litical threat to liberal democracy worldwide. an entirely different place. The ‘90s were a decade of optimism around the world, Dear liberal friends, this is why it is a decade where many thought most fitting that you organize history was over. In fact, it is your congress in Taiwan, a that optimism that led us vibrant democracy in Asia “We to begin the century. We and where we will have value the found ourselves making an important election benefits that a fateful decision—the shortly. And we wish our regional cooperation decision to admit China partners, the DPP, a lot can bring… these will into the World Trade of success. They must become even more as Organization. succeed. The ALDE we tackle the biggest Party and its members challenges Twenty-three years later, have been vocal and contogether…” we find ourselves dealing stant supporters of Taiwan with an authoritarian nation from Day One. that is now also wealthy, trying to export its authoritarian model as My predecessor, former ALDE an alternative to liberal democracy. Officials President Hans van Baalen, who sadly from Beijing go around the world telling passed away a few years ago, was the emcountries that democracy cannot solve bodiment of this support. He cared passionproblems. They tell them their system is so ately for liberalism around the world, and much better. We liberals know that they are he understood the importance of getting wrong and it’s up to us to show people worldtogether and learning from each other. He wide that democracy is the only way people would have dearly loved to have been with can truly thrive. I don’t say all of this because you in Taipei again today. It is his legacy that
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the ALDE party is launching this year a scholarship on EU-Taiwan relations in his name. He always said liberals must unite, and that together we can learn from our individual experiences and work to get more liberals into elected office where we can make the difference. This is why the ALDE Party is a great supporter of, and engages happily with, CALD. We value the benefits that regional cooperation can bring and that these will become even more as we tackle the biggest challenges together from COVID to climate change to migration, to China—you name it. So on this 30-year anniversary, please allow me to congratulate you and wish you the very best for the next 30 years. You will no doubt face additional challenges along the way, but you can count on our continued engagement, your European allies.
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