On March 8, 2024, Consultant Kao Ming-chiu of the Legislative Yuan attended at 9 a.m. the inauguration ceremony of R.O.C. (Taiwan) Legislative Yuan Youth Parliamentary Diplomacy Caucus, convened by Legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin. Also in attendance were Legislators Niu Hsu-ting, Liao Wei-hsiang, Lo Ting-wei, Ko Ju-chun, Chang Chih-lun, Huang Chien-pin, and Cheng Cheng-chien; Professor Dennis Weng Lu-chung from Sam Houston State University in Texas, the U.S.

The inauguration commenced under the address from Convener Hsu, before a remark by Consultant Kao on behalf of the Legislative Yuan. Kao expressed that it was an honor to attend the grand event on behalf of President Daniel K.Y. Han. Youth participation in formal political processes is indeed a key topic in a democratic country. There is a relatively high percentage of youth participating in politics in Taiwan. Judging from the previous two presidential elections, the average voting rate of voters under the age of 39 in Taiwan fell between 60% to 70%. That being the case, based on Taiwan’s total population, the proportion of young people in political decision-making positions is still relatively low. The average age of the legislators in the new (11th) Legislature is 52.83 years old, 12 of which are under the age of 40, accounting for 10.6% of the Legislature. According to Taiwan’s demographic structure, the ratio of members under 40 years old to those over 40 should remain 3:7; should the upper age limit of members over 40 years old be set at 65, the ratio should be held at 4:6.

Consultant Kao continued to point out that the need for youth participation comes from the rapid flow of information and the fast-changing social structure. In the past, in order to win an election, political parties could have the support of voters as long as they focused on mobilizing their supporters and managing campaigns in their own districts. Today, election campaigns are no longer limited to working on different regions on the map in the conventional way, but are also about making an influence in the air with information going viral through media such as short videos. For this reason, promoting youth participation to adjust to changes in social structure has been the purpose of the launching the R.O.C. (Taiwan) Legislative Yuan Youth Parliamentary Diplomacy Caucus. Should there be any administrative support required, the Department of International Affairs under the Legislative Yuan will spare no effort to assist. In closing, Consultant Kao wished for smooth operation of the Caucus, so that youth participation can be encouraged even more in the future.

The event concluded after 35 minutes with a group photo and the passing of the organizational charter of the Caucus and the election of its president and vice presidents.