The Forum for Democratic Cooperation held its opening public session in Taipei on Wednesday, bringing together officials and experts to address shifting global alliances in the wake of the renewed U.S.-China engagement. The event was organized by the Czech Republic’s Forum 2000 Foundation and Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry. 

Former Czech Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček said on the sidelines of the forum that the recent Trump-Xi summit confirmed a strategic worldview in which major powers believe they can reshape the world through bilateral deals. 

"This creates a world where great powers can make deals over the heads of smaller nations," Petříček said. "But this is unacceptable for small countries, because we all have an equal say in what kind of world we want to live in."

Petříček warned that while small countries must acknowledge the reality of great-power competition, yielding to it would threaten democratic cooperation and risk reviving outdated "spheres of influence" thinking. He also cautioned that Washington's strategic pivot from Europe toward Asia signals a changing alliance landscape that should serve as a warning to all partners.

He urged democratic allies to take on greater economic and security responsibilities and explore new frameworks for cooperation. "Perhaps minilateralism is an option for us," he said. "For Europe, the most immediate threat is Russia, but from a long-term global perspective, China is indeed a major risk, and we must face that reality."