Director-General Ray Ming-Tse Lu of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Melbourne hosted former Australian Prime Minister the Hon Tony Abbott AC for lunch on 1 October. They exchanged views on Taiwan-Australia relations, the regional security environment in the Indo-Pacific, economic security and supply chain resilience.
Director-General Lu shared Taiwan’s continued commitment to maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, strengthening its self-defence capabilities and whole-of-society resilience, and deepening cooperation with like-minded partners. President Lai Ching-te’s Four Pillars of Peace action plan, encompassing stronger national defence, greater economic resilience, closer cooperation with democratic partners and the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, continues to provide an important framework for Taiwan’s response to the evolving regional security environment.
The discussion also covered the increasingly close connection between economic development and national security. Director-General Lu noted that economic security, resilient supply chains and trusted partnerships have become increasingly important elements of regional cooperation. With Taiwan playing an important role in technology, advanced manufacturing and global supply chains, there remains considerable scope for Taiwan and Australia to deepen cooperation in economic security, technology and industrial resilience. Peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are important not only to regional security, but also to global supply chains and economic prosperity. Australia has likewise consistently opposed the use of force or coercion and unilateral attempts to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait.
Mr Abbott has long shown strong support for Taiwan. He visited Taiwan in 2021 to address the fifth Yushan Forum and has publicly supported Taiwan’s participation in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), as well as closer economic ties between Taiwan and Australia. Director-General Lu expressed appreciation for Mr Abbott’s longstanding support for Taiwan and his continued attention to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and Taiwan’s international participation.
Also joining the luncheon were SYNNEX Group Chief Executive Officer Kee Ong, Overseas Community Affairs Council member Hsien-Cheng Lin, Natasha Kostakos of Delta Electronics, and Little Lane Early Learning co-founder Mike Wu. The participants contributed perspectives from business, technology, economic resilience and people-to-people engagement. Kee Ong serves as Group CEO of SYNNEX; Natasha Kostakos works in smart infrastructure and building automation; and Mike Wu is a founder and owner-operator of Little Lane Early Learning.
Director-General Ray Ming-Tse Lu pictured with former Australian Prime Minister the Hon Tony Abbott AC.
Director-General Ray Ming-Tse Lu pictured with (from left to right) Council Member, Overseas Community Affairs Council William Lin (1st left); Natasha Kostakos, Smart Buildings and Spaces Manager at Delta Electronics Australia (2nd left); former Australian Prime Minister the Hon Tony Abbott AC (3rd left); Mike Wu, Founder of Little Lane Early Learning (2nd right); and Paul Mitchell, advisor to former Prime Minister Abbott (1st right).
