On March 28, 2026, the Taiwan Civil Defense Convention, organized by Kuma Academy in cooperation with the Liberal Democratic League of Ukraine (LDLU), opened in Taipei. This is the first large-scale Taiwan-Ukraine event dedicated to strengthening Taiwan's defense capabilities by drawing on Ukraine's experience.
Mariia Makarovych, Head of the LDLU East Asia Office, delivered opening remarks on behalf of the League. For Kuma Academy, the event was opened by Liu Wen, Chairperson of the Kuma Civil Defense Education Association, and CEO Chu Fu-ming.
The opening ceremony was attended by high-ranking Taiwanese officials:
- Hsiao Bi-khim – Vice President of Taiwan;
- Li Wen – Deputy Secretary-General of the National Security Council;
- Ma Shih-yuan – Deputy Minister of the Interior;
- Wu Chih-chung – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs;
- Liu Yu-hsi and Tseng Po-yu – Members of the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee under the Presidential Office.
Special attention during the event was given to Ukraine. In particular, Vice President Hsiao emphasized in her speech that the Ukrainian resistance to the Russian invasion since 2022 has become an important lesson for the whole world. She stressed that defending democracy and freedom is the task of the entire society, not just the military, and also noted the critical role of drones in modern warfare, using our country as an example.
Mariia Makarovych, Head of the LDLU East Asia Office, also emphasized the need to adopt the Ukrainian experience in preparing society for the challenges of war, as well as the common threats posed by the PRC and the Russian Federation to the democratic world. She stated that since Taiwan continues to help Ukraine, Ukraine must express solidarity with Taiwan.
We are sincerely grateful to Vice President Hsiao for her continuous support of Ukraine and her high appreciation of LDLU's role in developing security initiatives in Taiwan.
The Taiwan Civil Defense Convention will run until March 29. The conference includes lectures, forums, and workshops where participants will discuss key aspects of building comprehensive defense. The main focus will be on energy, telecommunications, and digital security, as well as countering disinformation. Emphasis will be placed on the practical application of the Ukrainian experience to create effective coordination between the state, rescue services, and civil society.
