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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-08-30 Daily Xml
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Taiwan

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (19:47): I move:

That this council—

1. Notes that 10 October is Taiwan National Day;

2. Recognises the significant cultural and economic contributions made by the Taiwanese community in South Australia;

3. Acknowledges Taiwan's important role in the Indo-Pacific region;

4. Celebrates Taiwan's strong ties and friendship with Australia;

5. Recognises Taiwan was Australia's fifth largest export market and seventh largest two-way merchandise trader in 2021-22;

6. Congratulates Taiwan on its proud history as a self-governed democracy and its recognition and respect for its indigenous people; and

7. Looks forward to South Australia further strengthening trade, investment, cultural and educational ties with Taiwan.

I am speaking about Taiwan to recognise the strong cultural, economic and geopolitical links between South Australia and the democratic country that is also globally renowned as Silicon Island. The Republic of China, Taiwan, celebrates its national day on 10 October. I will outline why it is so important that we, Australia, should continue to support Taiwan's independence and its right to claim sovereignty in the face of constant acts of aggression and political threats from its bullying neighbour 100 kilometres across the Taiwan Strait, the People's Republic of China.

I have now visited both countries, although I am cognisant that many other nations have a one-China policy that does not seem to recognise Taiwan as a standalone entity. Personally, I do not subscribe to that line of political convenience. At present, 13 countries plus the Vatican do recognise Taiwan as a sovereign country. Australia is not one, yet we merrily ply our trade worth billions with them. I was in mainland China for several weeks, working at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It was a real eye-opener for me. I was able to witness firsthand the enormous economic and social progress China has made in the decades since the communist state opened to the rest of the world.

While it is a powerhouse in the region, it still has its problems under a somewhat difficult and rigid political structure that is run on strict and authoritarian Maoist ideology, imposed by its leader Xi Jinping, while also attempting to embrace the capitalist values of democratic states. It is both rich and poor but very powerful.

Then there is the giant panda in the room: China's billowing greenhouse emissions also make it the biggest contributor to global warming, and there does not seem to be an end in sight as the rest of the planet sets unachievable zero-emissions targets in moving to renewable energy sources. China's own needs means it is unable to wean itself off its voracious appetite for fossil fuels. It is also a country compromised by terrible human rights violations, including the imprisonment of Australians under dubious charges.

As for Taiwan, in June I was privileged to be part of a delegation of six members from the Legislative Council's Taiwan-South Australia parliamentary friendship group for a seven-day mission to learn more about them and their way of life. Our delegation comprised of our co-leaders, the Hon. Tung Ngo (it was his third visit there) and the Hon. Laura Henderson, and the Hon. Heidi Girolamo, the Hon. Reggie Martin, the Hon. Ben Hood and me. The delegation had accepted an invitation extended and paid for by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office. We had a packed schedule of meetings, reaching the highest levels of their government. I will come back to that later.

Mr Acting President, as you yourself found on your visit there, Taiwan is a fascinating and quite enthralling country, far removed in many respects from its larger neighbour as it is an effective and quite peaceful self-governing democracy. Taiwan's compact size belies its significance, with a land area of approximately 25,000 square kilometres and a population of over 23 million people. It stands as a testament to the idea that great things can come in small packages. It is innovative, cultured, refined, very productive and its people are extremely polite and well educated and, I found, extremely stoic in the face of constant existential threats.

Taipei and the other cities we visited are refreshingly modern, clean and with an efficient transport system, while their roads are well maintained and traffic flows in such an orderly fashion that it would even put Adelaide to shame. Although it does rely on imports due to its lack of natural resources, Taiwan's export-orientated economy is something of a blockbuster, considering its maker. It boasts a highly developed market economy with a gross domestic product worth $790 billion. It ranks as the 21st largest economy in the world, the rapid development being described as the Taiwan Miracle.

Allow me to give you a snapshot of it. Its main industries are electronics, communications and information technology, petroleum refining and manufacturing. Taiwan is the global leader in the production of semiconductors (computer chips) for just about everything and is worth more than US$100 billion annually.

Taiwanese company Foxconn makes iPhones. Our delegation visited the headquarters of Cooler Master, an advanced and innovative computer component and gaming peripherals manufacturer specialising in PC thermal cooling systems. As an insight into what they do, while speaking to the company's chief executive, Jimmy Sha, in Taipei and to founder Roger Lin on the day that Apple announced its groundbreaking new Vision Pro headset, I was blown away to learn that they had played an important role in its development by supplying the revolutionary headset's tiny cooling system.

They also showed us a stunning array of novel PCs, an office chair that—as you, Mr Acting President, experienced—can replicate stunning action effects from a movie when connected to one of its PCs, and my personal favourite, a Formula One car simulator. Just think of the advantage China would have over the rest of the world in the event of a takeover.

Nonetheless, and as quite an irony, China remains its biggest trading partner. It is Australia's seventh largest trading partner and fifth largest export market, worth $5 billion to $6 billion. Taiwan's labour force is 15 million. The unemployment rate is 3.7 per cent; 1.5 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line; and inflation, currently the scourge of much larger nations and economies, is running at a modest 3 per cent. It is also regarded as one of the easiest countries to do business with. Any wonder China wants to get its hands on it.

Taiwan is keen to get Australia's backing to join the comprehensive and progressive agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, against Beijing's wishes. Our Prime Minister has poured cold water on it. Australia benefits enormously from its trade deals with Taiwan, yet it will not recognise this beacon of democracy as a sovereign nation, perhaps fearing some retaliation from the Chinese. Such is the delicate and sensitive nature of this relationship and situation.

The island's history took a significant turn when it became a Dutch colony in the 17th century, followed by the Qing dynasty rule. Later, it was ceded to Japan after the First Sino-Japanese War in 1895 and it remained under Japanese control until the end of World War II. The Republic of China then took over the reins, as the nationalist government of Chiang Kai-shek retreated to Taiwan after losing the Chinese Civil War to the communists, led by Mao Zedong, the revered Chairman Mao.

Taiwan's relationship with mainland China is complex and multifaceted. While both sides share historical and cultural ties, differing political ideologies have led to a divided stance on their relationship. Taiwan seeks to maintain its de facto independence, while China considers Taiwan an integral part of its history and Xi Jinping states that reunification with Taiwan must be fulfilled while often flexing its considerable military muscle to drive home that point.

The prospect of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan carries far-reaching geopolitical implications. Not only would it disrupt regional stability but it could also reshape the dynamics of power in the Asia-Pacific region. China's interest in Taiwan is rooted in its aspiration to exert greater control over its periphery and strengthen its global influence. The strategic significance of Taiwan cannot be underestimated. Its proximity to Japan and South Korea, as well as its location in the Indo-Pacific region, close to US-friendly territories like Guam and the Philippines, positions it as a linchpin for regional stability and security.

Additionally, Taiwan's close ties with the United States and countries like Australia underscore its role as a democratic stronghold in a geopolitically sensitive area. Taiwan's military capability, while not insignificant due to its arms supply from the United States, would be dwarfed by China's. However, US President Joe Biden has already indicated shifting from their strategic ambiguity of not declaring what they would do in the event of a conflict by now stating that the US would defend Taiwan militarily.

Taiwan's political landscape is characterised by a vibrant democracy. The two main political parties are the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). These parties have shaped the island's policies with leaders like Tsai Ing-wen of the DPP, the current President, and Kuomintang's Eric Chu playing pivotal roles.

Our delegation was given a glimpse of the enormous political implications at stake in a meeting with Taiwan's leading presidential candidate at next year's elections, the current Vice-President, Dr William Lai from the DPP, and Jason Lin, national policy adviser to Taiwan's female President, Madame Tsai Ing-wen.

I found Dr Lai an extremely impressive statesman-like figure with a considered attitude to the ever-present confronting situation Taiwan finds itself in. Only last week, Dr Lai visited the United States on his way back from one of Taiwan's allies, Paraguay, which infuriated Beijing. In fact, Beijing will throw a tantrum at any politician from a democracy either visiting or associating with Taipei. The Chinese Consul General here was made aware of our visit from the wide media coverage we received over there and she felt the need to file a stern complaint to the President of the Legislative Council and the Premier. I view this as no more than a petulant show of Beijing's subtle style of diplomatic bullying.

I will not stand for any country or totalitarian regime dictating to me or others where they can travel because of their own political prejudices and differences. Should Dr Lai be elected, my own impression is that Taiwan will be in extremely capable hands. However, Dr Lai fears Beijing will attempt to meddle in the elections and we should expect Beijing to ratchet up its military and online mischief towards Taiwan as the poll nears.

Our delegation was warmly received by other leading political and civic leaders from all sides of their political divide, as well as captains of industry, arts and culture, science and education. Among them were: Si-Kun You, the President of the Legislative Yuan; Wen-tsan Cheng, the Vice-Premier of the Executive Yuan; Wendy Yu-Hsia, a popular female legislator of the KMT Party; Hsi-chin Tai, the very charismatic Speaker of the Taipei City Council; Dr San-Cheng Chang, the Mayor of Taiwan City; Dr Hung-AnKao, the vivacious young female Mayor of Hsinchu City, former executive of the giant Foxconn Technology Group and a member of the Legislative Yuan; Ambassador Chung-Kwan Tien, Deputy Minister Foreign Affairs and Chancellor of the Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs; Ambassador Alexander Tah-Ray Yui; and Chung Kwan Tien, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister.

If there was a concurrent message throughout our stay, it was that they are extremely appreciative of the support and goodwill they receive from our country and are quite enthusiastic and genuine about wanting to boost trade, investment, student study and tourism with South Australia. They currently do more business with the Eastern States but are keen to explore opportunities here. We must encourage that.

Just to illustrate what a small world it is, at a hotel I was recognised by Carrie and Kevin, Taiwanese Australians who run a successful trucking company in Adelaide and still do much business with their native country. The Taiwanese are quite conscious of global warming and climate change and are aware of this state's reputation as a global leader in renewables and desire to develop clean energy solutions like a hydrogen industry, which the Taiwanese told us they would be keen to be involved in once it eventuates. I hope they do not have long to wait.

They informed us that they area planning to close their nuclear and coal-driven power plants and move towards greener options, like hydrogen, although gas would still be part of their brown energy mix. We also visited Tsai Ying Clean Energy Company, run by Chairman Eagle Cheng. It has a manufacturing plant in Kaohsiung City, which is developing hydrogen-fuelled buses.

Another interesting discovery by our delegation is the existence of Taiwanese indigenous groups spread across the island—the Amis, Atayal, Bunun and others—that hold a special place in its cultural fabric. Their traditions, languages and customs remind us of the island's diverse heritage and the importance of preserving these historic roots. Their indigenous people are celebrated at an impressive cultural museum, the Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines. Our tour guide there also began the tour with a Welcome to Country, like the one we do here, reflecting the Australian influence from her period of living and studying in Melbourne.

Our trip ended on a high note touring the Kavalan whisky distillery, sampling the golden drops that have won consecutive gold medals. Go figure—the world's best single malt Scotch made in Taiwan. That gave us yet another surprising taste of and insight into Taiwan's rich diversity. Mr Acting President, my colleagues on this visit, including yourself, will no doubt talk more to their experience as this motion progresses, and I look forward to hearing from them. I am also looking forward to attending Taiwan's National Day celebrations in Melbourne in October.

I would also like to again pass on my thanks to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office and their representative, Shi-Chun Kuo, who drew up our itinerary, kept us on our busy schedule and ensured we did not get lost along the way enjoying the island's stunning mountainous beauty and fabulous culture.

Taiwan's journey is one of resilience, innovation and unique identity. Its history, culture, economy and geopolitical significance intertwine to create a narrative that continues to evolve. As we navigate an ever-changing world, understanding Taiwan's story reminds us of the importance of preserving diverse cultures and safeguarding the democratic principles that define us. I look forward to returning there one day. I commend the motion.

The Hon. B.R. HOOD (20:06): I rise to support the honourable member's motion and to speak briefly on recognising that 10 October is Taiwan National Day. The honourable member has given us a fantastic overview of our trip to Taiwan, and I am just going to touch on a few things that I greatly enjoyed.

The Taiwanese community in South Australia has contributed significantly towards both our culture and economy. Australia has long since received international recognition for its unique cultural make-up, and the subsequent enrichment our culture and economy have benefited from, and the invaluable relationships our nations hold because of it. We are especially fortunate in our strong bilateral ties with Taiwan, which I had the opportunity to visit in June alongside my colleagues in this place.

I was greatly impressed, given the existential threat of its neighbour, by the Taiwanese people's resilience and their innovation, much comparable with our own. Taiwan's self-governed democracy is seen through their international connections, relationships and their success as traders and exporters. I was impressed not only by the technological advancements and research development of the Taiwanese people but equally by the architecture, art and culture that are embedded in their community. My passion for the arts was very much satisfied during our visit, with an opportunity to visit the ALIEN Art Centre, which was a highlight of the trip.

The similarities that our nations share are undeniable. While we have more to do in appreciating and valuing our own Indigenous heritage, Taiwan's indigenous community are recognised, appreciated and celebrated by their country, and we were fortunate to see that culture proudly displayed in the indigenous museum in Taipei. Australia and Taiwan's ties ultimately go beyond our relationship, our politics, our trade and investment, to our fundamental doctrine of a nation that is resilient and proud of its culture and history.

I support the motion and look forward to further strengthening our many ties with Taiwan. I thank the honourable member for bringing Taiwan National Day to motion. I commend the motion to the chamber.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. I.K. Hunter.

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