Taipei, Nov. 25 (CNA) While international terrorism is not an issue on the minds of most of Taiwan's people, Taiwan can play an important role in the "global war on terrorism, " an official said Saturday.
"Taiwan should never underestimate itself, because it can play an important role in the global war on terror, " said Kuo Lin-wu, director of Executive Yuan's Counter Terrorism Office, in a seminar on international terrorism.
Taiwan has thousands of active and competitive small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) , Kuo said. This fact, coupled with the country's top machinery manufacturing and regional distribution capabilities in the Asia Pacific region, means that Taiwan could easily be exploited by terrorists, he said.
This is why Taiwan can play a big part in the war on terrorism and in preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, he noted.
And Taiwan should find its place in the global campaign because, contrary to what most Taiwan people think, Taiwan's national security is already threatened by international terrorism, which is spreading through the "globalized network, " Kuo added.
At the same time, Taiwan can learn a lot from taking part in the anti-terrorism campaign. As countries all over the world strengthen their crisis management mechanisms, Taiwan will be able to learn from others' experiences, Kuo said.
Taiwan can even explore new business opportunities in the anti-terrorism process, he said.
"Taiwan will have opportunities to leverage its technology competitiveness and get involved in various homeland security-related industries, " Kuo said.