Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott says the world should stand together with “brave and free” Taiwan for a better future. Those words came during Abbott’s opening address to the 2021 Yushan Forum on Friday.
Abbott, who is visiting Taiwan in an unofficial capacity, praised Taiwan’s successful transition from autocracy to democracy. He says Taiwan provides “a model that the whole world should admire, not isolate”. The former prime minister also says that Taiwan’s future should be decided by its own people.
With regard to tensions between Taiwan and China, Abbott says “nowhere is the struggle between liberty and tyranny more stark than across the Taiwan Strait”. He says he believes that the United States would not “stand by” in the event of a conflict. Abbott also says he believes Australia, too, should not be “indifferent for the fate of a fellow democracy of almost 25 million people”.
On international trade, Abbott gave his support for Taiwan’s bid to join the CPTPP trade agreement, which binds Japan and Australia, along with nine other countries.
Abbott ended his speech with a call for Taiwan not to stay safe, but rather “something nobler and higher: stay free”.