Shifting focus from the election campaign themes of referendums and political parties' assets, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday championed the accomplishments of his presidency, claiming that Taiwan's economy is on the mend and urging the public to retain their trust in the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) rule.
"On the stock market's first day of trading in 2004, it increased by 150 points. I want everybody to know that, in fact, last year alone, the stock market went up by almost 1500 points. This represents a total national estate worth NT$1 trillion, which means that the assets of each of Taiwan's 23 million people increased by NT$164,000 on average. This is a good omen," he said.
PHOTO: SEAN CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES
"The property market is moving upwards again for the first time in four-and-a-half years, thanks to the government's sound policies and improved efforts. As we can see, the good times are returning; our hopes and dreams are being satisfied," Chen said.
"And yet, there are still people blowing their own trumpets, seeing only a bleak future. Let me tell everybody; the worst, the bitterest days, are over," he said.
The DPP's presidential election campaign yesterday centered on northern Taiwan, combining forces in Taipei, Keelung and Ilan Counties for a congress of supporters of the Chen-Lu presidential ticket. Together, Chen and his running mate, Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), emphasized the recovering economy and robustly promoted the achievements and on-going reforms of their administration.
Chen stressed that because of the international economic decline, continuous provocation from China as well as Taiwan's own structural problems, "We have really had a tough time."
But, he said, in the true spirit of children of Taiwan, we created endless possibilities and completed many tasks, even in difficult circumstances.
By way of example, Chen said that in the four years of his administration, there had been no collapse of economic institutions and no pilfering of economic institutions' assets like during the years of KMT rule.
Vice President Annette Lu urged the public to believe in Taiwan's strength and potential and support the government.
"We rank No. 5 out of 195 countries in the global competitiveness report of the World Economic Forum and we are No. 1 in Asia. Therefore, Taiwanese people should be confident about us and keep faith in Taiwan. How can anyone say Taiwan doesn't have a future?" Lu said.
She described this year's presidential election as the most difficult campaign ever facing the DPP because it is a battle between "one DPP" versus an alliance of "three and one" parties, which means the pan-blue camp's Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), the People First Party (PFP) and the New Party, and the world's most arbitrary party -- the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
"Fortunately, we have the support of the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), former President Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) and the Taiwanese people, who are all cherishing the hard-obtained fruits of democracy and refuse to buckle under China's threats," Lu said.
In order to promote Chen's resolution to hold a national referendum on election day to ask China to withdraw all ballistic missiles aimed at Taiwan, Lu said that she would push for a national movement of "saving Taiwan with peace," and demand the UN act according to its charter and take seriously Taiwan's justified request for China to remove its missiles.
"Taiwan doesn't belong only to Taiwanese, but to everyone in the world. Taiwan's pursuit of democracy is like a climb up Jade Mountain (
‘TAIWAN-FRIENDLY’: The last time the Web site fact sheet removed the lines on the US not supporting Taiwanese independence was during the Biden administration in 2022 The US Department of State has removed a statement on its Web site that it does not support Taiwanese independence, among changes that the Taiwanese government praised yesterday as supporting Taiwan. The Taiwan-US relations fact sheet, produced by the department’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, previously stated that the US opposes “any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side; we do not support Taiwan independence; and we expect cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means.” In the updated version published on Thursday, the line stating that the US does not support Taiwanese independence had been removed. The updated
‘CORRECT IDENTIFICATION’: Beginning in May, Taiwanese married to Japanese can register their home country as Taiwan in their spouse’s family record, ‘Nikkei Asia’ said The government yesterday thanked Japan for revising rules that would allow Taiwanese nationals married to Japanese citizens to list their home country as “Taiwan” in the official family record database. At present, Taiwanese have to select “China.” Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said the new rule, set to be implemented in May, would now “correctly” identify Taiwanese in Japan and help protect their rights, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. The statement was released after Nikkei Asia reported the new policy earlier yesterday. The name and nationality of a non-Japanese person marrying a Japanese national is added to the
AT RISK: The council reiterated that people should seriously consider the necessity of visiting China, after Beijing passed 22 guidelines to punish ‘die-hard’ separatists The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has since Jan. 1 last year received 65 petitions regarding Taiwanese who were interrogated or detained in China, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. Fifty-two either went missing or had their personal freedoms restricted, with some put in criminal detention, while 13 were interrogated and temporarily detained, he said in a radio interview. On June 21 last year, China announced 22 guidelines to punish “die-hard Taiwanese independence separatists,” allowing Chinese courts to try people in absentia. The guidelines are uncivilized and inhumane, allowing Beijing to seize assets and issue the death penalty, with no regard for potential
‘UNITED FRONT’ FRONTS: Barring contact with Huaqiao and Jinan universities is needed to stop China targeting Taiwanese students, the education minister said Taiwan has blacklisted two Chinese universities from conducting academic exchange programs in the nation after reports that the institutes are arms of Beijing’s United Front Work Department, Minister of Education Cheng Ying-yao (鄭英耀) said in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper) published yesterday. China’s Huaqiao University in Xiamen and Quanzhou, as well as Jinan University in Guangzhou, which have 600 and 1,500 Taiwanese on their rolls respectively, are under direct control of the Chinese government’s political warfare branch, Cheng said, citing reports by national security officials. A comprehensive ban on Taiwanese institutions collaborating or
RSS