Washington, D.C. – The International Republican Institute (IRI) today announced it is opening an office in Taiwan as part of its efforts to support democratic governance in the Indo-Pacific.
“We are so proud to be establishing a permanent presence in Taiwan, a place that embodies the commitment to democratic values and practices that IRI seeks to support around the world. From our Taipei base, we will work with our partners to highlight Taiwan’s hard-won democratic lessons, strengthen networks of Asia’s democratic actors and build resilience against malign authoritarian influence in the region. As the CCP becomes more aggressive in violating the global rules-based order, now is the time for all democracies – including the United States – to invest in strengthening ties with Taiwan,” said IRI President Dr. Daniel Twining.
In August 2020, IRI partnered with Graphika and the Institute for the Future’s Digital Intelligence Lab to release a joint report entitled Detecting Digital Fingerprints: Tracing Chinese Disinformation in Taiwan. The publication revealed a series of attacks by foreign and domestic actors on Taiwan’s 2020 presidential election, as well as efforts to undermine the island’s COVID-19 response with narratives that advance Beijing’s strategic interests.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced its commitment to establishing the long-term presence of leading international non-governmental organizations on the island, including IRI. IRI looks forward to working with the Taiwanese government, civil society and academia to bolster Taiwan’s democratic successes and share them with the world.