2023-03-22
Germany’s FNF Visits DPP for Exchange on Various Issues
On March 22nd, a delegation from the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) made a visit to the DPP headquarters. Led by FNF Chairperson Dr. Karl-Heinz Paqué, the delegation included FNF International Department. Director Dr. René Klaff, Southeast and East Asia Regional Director Moritz Kleine-Brockhoff, and Global Innovation Hub Head Anna Marti. The DPP Deputy Secretary-General Yang Yi-shan (楊懿珊), DPP Spokesperson and Director of International Affairs Department Hsieh Peifen (謝佩芬), Director of the Department. of Gender Equality Lee Yen-jong (李晏榕), Director of the Center for Media Innovation Chan Ho-shun (詹賀舜), Director of the Department. of Youth Development Juan Chun-ta (阮俊達), and Deputy Director of the Department. of International Affairs Chiu Wen-li (邱雯莉) jointly received the delegation.
DPP Spokesperson and Director of International Affairs Department Peifen Hsieh explained to the press that FNF as a think tank shares liberal ideals with the German Free Democratic Party (FDP). FNF is also a long-standing supporter of Liberal International (LI) and the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD), two organizations of which the DPP is a member. Within these organizations, the DPP and FNF have worked together multiple times to advocate for Taiwan. Last July (2022), Director Hsieh was invited by the FNF to Berlin and Potsdam, where she had in-depth exchanges with German Parliament Member Frank Müller-Rosentritt, officials from the Federal Foreign Office, Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and more. As a result, the two sides have developed a deep and solid friendship. The DPP is honored to return the favor and host Dr. Paqué and his delegation in Taiwan.
In her opening remarks, Deputy Secretary-General Yang expressed special gratitude to the FNF for choosing to open their global innovation center in Taipei. As we face intensifying political and military threats from the PRC, attracting concrete support from international partners is more important than ever. The FNF installment in Taiwan is a powerful – and crucial – sign of support.
Director Hsieh of the International Affairs Department stated that, as Taiwan actively tries to strengthen our international connections, FNF is one of our most reliable partners. We look forward to more cooperation to promote liberal values. In response to Director Hsieh’s remarks, Dr. Paqué in his capacity as the Vice President of LI and Chairperson of the Fair Trade Committee (FTC), thanked Director Hsieh for her deep involvement as the only Asian representative in the FTC over the past three years.
Director Lee then brought the delegation up to date on the state of gender equality in Taiwan. Upon Lai Ching-te’s election to DPP Chairperson, the department changed its name from “Department. of Women’s Affairs” to “Department. of Gender Equality”, highlighting an expansion in the department’s focus. Even though Taiwan performs remarkably well in every indicator of gender equality, Taiwanese women still face a myriad of challenges. The department will strengthen current initiatives and push for evermore inclusive advocacy.
Director Chan of the Center for Media Innovation shared his insights on new media practices, noting that Taiwan is receiving a serious influx of mis- and dis- information. Recently, the DPP has established a task force to counter cognitive warfare. We hope that the group will work closely with the FNF to strengthen digital democracy and quickly discredit disinformation.
Director Juan of the Youth Development Department said that he was honored to have held virtual meetings with the FNF’s Global Innovation Hub, where they discussed and exchanged methods for cultivating young political talents. He hopes that in the future there will be more opportunities to exchange ideas on how to support democratically-minded young people, and foster their passion and ability to work in politics.
Dr. Paqué further stated that Taiwan has continuously been the FNF’s best partner in promoting liberal values and innovation, but due to COVID he was not able to visit Taiwan and formally open the Global Innovation Hub until now. However, Taiwan is now a key point of focus for the whole world, and its importance is increasing day by day. The establishment of the Global Innovation Hub is not only to learn from the experiences of Taiwan, but is a sign of firm support for the Taiwanese people.
According to Spokesperson Hsieh, the discussion consisted of the current international situation, promoting gender equality, encouraging youth participation in politics, combating misinformation and disinformation, and more. DPP looks forward to the continuation of this comprehensive and in-depth exchange.
