Legislative Yuan President You Si-kun, accompanied by Legislator Freddy Lim, Secretary General Lin Jih-jia, Consultant Hung Tzu-yung, and Secretariat Director Maggie Wu, as well as Vice Foreign Minister Alexander Tah-ray Yui and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Department of Policy Planning Director General Klement Ruey-sheng Gu, met with a delegation at the Sheraton Hotel participating in the 2021 Open Parliament Forum today at 4:30 p.m. Among the honored guests were the Hon. Nadia Navarro Acevedo, Member of the Senate, Chair of the Bicameral Commission on the Congressional Channel, and Secretary of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Mexican Senate; Amb. Derek Mitchell, President of the National Democratic Institute (NDI); and Manpreet Singh Anand, Regional Director for Asia Pacific Programs at the NDI.

President You first welcomed the delegation to Taiwan to participate in the 2021 Open Parliament Forum, saying that the forum was the result of the joint efforts of the Legislative Yuan and NDI. He continued by stating that an open parliament represents a high degree of democracy and integrity, which are essential for any democratic country. He thanked Chairwoman Navarro for coming and President Mitchell for his longstanding attention to Taiwan‘s democratic development. He hoped to see more dialogues, exchanges, and cooperation result from this forum.

Continuing, President You said that Taiwan and Mexico share much in common, as it is said that the sweet potato first originated in Mexico and then spread to Taiwan, where it is loved by the people and grown in large quantities. Taiwanese also like to refer to themselves as sweet potatoes. Perhaps, he said, there are connections between the ancestors of people in Mexico and of those in Taiwan. Therefore, seeing Chairwoman Navarro is just like seeing a family member. President You also mentioned that NDI President Mitchell is married to a Taiwanese woman, and because of this, he feels close to him. His statement charmed the room.

Moving on, President You stressed that Taiwan and Mexico have been cooperating closely on economic and trade matters over the past ten years, and that about 300 Taiwanese companies have set up factories in Mexico. Mexico and Taiwan are both members of APEC, and Mexico is also a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Taiwan, he said, is also applying to join the CPTPP and its application is being reviewed. There are many opportunities for Taiwan and Mexico to cooperate further, and he said he hopes Mexico will support Taiwan‘s application to join the CPTPP so as to eliminate trade barriers and deepen economic and trade cooperation.

Chairwoman Navarro expressed gratitude to President You for inviting her to Taiwan to participate in the forum. She said that Taiwan‘s defense of democracy and freedom is evident to all around the world. She also expressed support of Taiwan‘s participation in the international community. Saying that there will be more cultural, economic, and trade delegations to visit Taiwan over the coming year, she closed by saying she was certain that there would be more opportunities for exchanges in the future.

The forum was coorganized by the Legislative Yuan and the NDI. President You said that the two sides had come together in March to set up an office and sign a memorandum of cooperation to jointly organize the 2021 Open Parliament Forum. The NDI has spared no effort promoting democracy worldwide since the Cold War, while Taiwan is a beacon of democracy for the Chinese-speaking world. Taiwan’s experience of democratization can be promoted within other Chinese-speaking countries. In addition to hoping for President Mitchell’s continued support for Taiwan‘s membership in the Open Government Partnership, President You also said he looked forward to a long-term partnership with the NDI and to working with democracies around the world to revitalize democracy. He then especially thanked the United States for inviting Taiwan to participate in the Summit for Democracy, as this would Taiwan an opportunity to further its international engagement.

President Mitchell revealed that December 2 marked the 33rd anniversary of his first visit to Taiwan. When he was a young man, he studied in China, but left China on June 4, 1989, the date of the Tiananmen Square massacre. His experiences mean he understands the atmosphere in China as it was at that time. Taiwan enjoys democratic development, which is why he values Taiwan‘s importance.

President You stated that Amb. Mitchell was on China’s sanctions list because he was involved with Hong Kong, while he himself had also been named recently by the Chinese authorities as a stubborn supporter of Taiwan independence. President You said that this was a badge of honor, and symbolized Mr. Mitchell’s fearlessness even when under the threat of a major power. He also expressed admiration for NDI President Mitchell’s longstanding interest in human rights and his love of democracy and freedom.

President You also shared his views on the origins of the Chinese Communist Party‘s political ideology, which he believes is a combination of traditional Chinese Confucianism and legalism, partly embodied in wolf-warrior diplomacy, and assisted by technology. This, he said, has allowed the Chinese Communist Party to exercise great control over domestic politics, which is why it has survived longer than other communist regimes around the world.