President Lai Ching-te is renewing calls for closer international cooperation
to counter transnational repression as he described it as a growing challenge
facing democracies around the world.

Lai told participants at a Global Cooperation and Training Framework workshop
in Taipei, that threats facing democratic countries today have gone beyond
traditional military domains and geographic boundaries.

The president said authoritarian regimes are increasingly using emerging
technologies, illicit financial flows, cyberattacks and information
manipulation to carry out cross-border surveillance and repression, undermine
social trust and erode democratic sovereignty.

He added that when authoritarianism seeks to export fear, democratic
societies must build resilience and when authoritarian forces seek to divide
unity, democratic partners must work together.

Organizers say the event brought together experts and scholars from 29
countries to exchange views on safeguarding democracy, freedom, human rights
and the rule of law.

The Global Cooperation and Training Framework was established by Taiwan and
the United States in 2015, and has since been expanded to include Japan,
Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom as official partners.