President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said Taiwan is a sovereign and independent country with the right to engage the world, in a recorded address to the  Copenhagen Democracy Summit (CDS) on Tuesday.

Speaking at the 9th CDS, at the invitation of the Alliance of Democracies Foundation (AoD), Lai thanked AoD founder and board member Anders Fogh Rasmussen for the opportunity to represent the people of Taiwan and stand with supporters of freedom, human rights, and democratic values.

Lai said the world is at a critical turning point between democracy and authoritarianism, with authoritarian forces expanding across Europe, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific through military intimidation, economic coercion, cyber attacks, and gray-zone activities. 

He cited a disrupted April trip to Eswatini, saying China obstructed normal flight routes, highlighting how authoritarian regimes attempt to impose their rules and use global aviation safety as political leverage. Such challenges show that no democracy can remain uninvolved, he said, calling for unity among democratic nations. 

Marking 30 years of Taiwan’s direct presidential elections, Lai said democracy is Taiwan’s strongest asset and link to the world. He emphasized, “Taiwan is a sovereign and independent country. The Taiwanese people have the right to engage with the world and the ability to contribute to it. Any attempt to isolate Taiwan cannot change Taiwan's determination to participate in the international community.”