Minister Audrey Tang and former British Prime Minister Liz Truss urged deeper Taiwan-U.K. ties and digital resilience cooperation during a meeting at Ministry of Digital Affairs’ headquarters May 19 in Taipei City. 

Cyber warfare is the new battlefield as evidenced by Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine, Tang said. The use of emerging technologies by authoritarian regimes to consolidate power and manipulate the internet to control digital communities, as well as artificial intelligence-created deepfake audio and images , makes information security a matter of great international concern, she added.

According to Tang, information security is national security. This is why the moda has been tasked with coordinating the government’s overall information security efforts and related resources, she said.

The core strategy centers on the proactive defense and the use of forward-looking technology to prevent threats and block sources of attacks, Tang said. Such an approach includes strengthening capabilities in critical areas like infrastructure information security, as well as adopting the Interplanetary File System(IPFS) and introducing a zero-trust architecture, she added.

These measures, Tang said, are expected to fundamentally enhance Taiwan’s overall information security environment while creating a cross-domain defense system that is easy to defend and difficult to attack.

According to Tang, the moda’s The Planning of Strengthening the Digital Resilience of Communication Networks by Applying Emerging Technologies in Emergency or Wartime is a proof of concept for non-synchronous orbital satellites as an emergency backup network.

The project, involving the installation of 700 domestic and three foreign satellite hot spots, will ensure command and control operations remain uninterrupted under all conditions, Tang said. Global satellite operators, including those based in the U.K., are invited to join the project in an effort to grow potential satellite communication services tie-ups, she added.

In addition, Tang said, Taiwan and the U.K. are working to expand economic exchanges in an array of traditional and digital economy fields.  It is anticipated this cooperation will take ties to new heights and create new opportunities for mutually beneficial collaboration, she added.

Truss, making her first trip to Taiwan, is a consistent supporter of government efforts to expand the country’s participation in the international arena.

Taiwan and the U.K. are members of the free world bound by a shared commitment to freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, she said.

The two sides should advance relations and digital cooperation via expanded industry investment and innovation-focused partnerships, Truss said, adding that deepening democracy goes beyond just defending it.