Taiwan’s Deputy Foreign Minister François Wu Chih-chung (吳志中) said bilateral relationships have become more important than multilateral frameworks as international institutions face growing challenges, citing Taiwan’s role in artificial intelligence as a key driver of international cooperation. 

Wu made the remarks in an interview with Polish Radio on Thursday amid shifting global dynamics. He said that organizations such as the United Nations are increasingly constrained, prompting Taiwan to focus more on bilateral diplomacy. Entering what he described as the AI era, Wu said Taiwan, which he called “the capital of AI” continues to attract international attention and cooperation requests, adding that Taiwan is willing to share its AI expertise and play a more proactive role in the international community. He stated, “When we work with other countries, [it’s] more and more based on how Taiwan can play a positive role in the world and how Taiwan can even assist some countries [with] their re-industrialization policy.” 

Explaining Taiwan’s diplomatic challenges, Wu said Taiwan faces sustained pressure from China, the world’s second-largest economy. He said Taiwan’s diplomatic efforts focus on countering Beijing’s one-China principle narrative and emphasizing that Taiwan is not a domestic issue for China and not part of China. Although few countries formally recognize Taiwan, Wu noted that Taiwan maintains 111 overseas missions worldwide.

The minister noted that the declining effectiveness of international organizations such as the United Nations, World Health Organization and World Trade Organization has made bilateral ties increasingly critical. Through bilateral discussions on key issues, Taiwan’s relationships with multiple countries have steadily improved.

On relations with Poland, Wu emphasized that Taiwan values Central and Eastern European countries as much as major Western European states. He said Taiwan-Poland relations are warming and continue to deepen. On Ukraine, Wu ensured that Taiwan will continue to support Ukraine based on shared values and interests, but deeper bilateral ties depend on the Ukrainian government’s position.

Addressing claims that Russian missiles contained Taiwanese components, Wu said Taiwan has enforced strict high-tech export controls since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and called for direct dialogue with Ukraine to clarify the issue.

Wu also stressed the importance of linking Indo-Pacific peace and stability to the interests of the United States, Japan and Western countries, saying international support for Taiwan has grown amid China’s military exercises.

Taras Andrukhovych and Anna Lvova are visiting journalists working in collaboration with the Foreign Ministry, Polish Radio, and Radio Taiwan International, working to enhance cross-border exchanges. Their work includes a training program to support Ukrainian journalists, while also enhancing international understanding of Taiwan.