President Chen Shui-bian (
Chen made the remarks at a New Year's gathering of Presidential Office staff on the first working day after the Lunar New Year holiday.
Saying that providing a better life for the people is the top goal of his administration for this year, as he promised in his Jan. 1 New Year's Day speech, Chen said he has confidence in realizing this mission.
PHOTO: CNA
Chen said he met with 20-plus top officials of ministries and government agencies to exchange views on major policy issues and the work agenda for the new year.
"The executive branch has a consensus on the direction we will take in the future," Chen said, adding that the government will prioritize economic development,
introduce comprehensive reforms, eradicate "black gold" politics and organized crime, accelerate educational reforms, promote tourism and attract investment.
Chen said he thinks that the international situation and relations across the Taiwan Strait will witness steady development.
"Of course, some uncertainties still lurk on both fronts. We are keeping close watch on developments and will cope with all possible changes with care and prudence," Chen said.
"Whatever changes or challenges there will be, we should not lose faith and confidence in our nation. With confidence and unity, we'll be able to overcome any difficulty and accomplish our goal," he added.
Noting that the start of a new year offers both new opportunities and new challenges, Chen said all members of the ruling team must work hard to boost national development and upgrade the nation's overall competitiveness in the global market.
With brisk exports in recent months, Chen said, the economy has gradually regained momentum. He said the government has also come up with a NT$50 billion project to expand public construction.
Once the project is approved by the Legislative Yuan, Chen said, the domestic demand will increase to help create new jobs and lower the jobless rate. The project is also expected to help stimulate private investment to further speed up domestic economic recovery, he added.
In contrast to Chen's upbeat mood, Vice President Annette Lu (
"The Year of the Goat may be eventful," Lu said at the party. "It will be full of challenges and turbulence. It may be a crunch time for either peace or war. It may be a time for a showdown between righteousness and evil."
Earlier, Chen presided over a swearing-in ceremony for newly appointed Secretary-General to the President Chiou I-jen (
Taiwan is stepping up plans to create self-sufficient supply chains for combat drones and increase foreign orders from the US to counter China’s numerical superiority, a defense official said on Saturday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, the official said the nation’s armed forces are in agreement with US Admiral Samuel Paparo’s assessment that Taiwan’s military must be prepared to turn the nation’s waters into a “hellscape” for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Paparo, the commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, reiterated the concept during a Congressional hearing in Washington on Wednesday. He first coined the term in a security conference last
DEFENSE: The National Security Bureau promised to expand communication and intelligence cooperation with global partners and enhance its strategic analytical skills China has not only increased military exercises and “gray zone” tactics against Taiwan this year, but also continues to recruit military personnel for espionage, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said yesterday in a report to the Legislative Yuan. The bureau submitted the report ahead of NSB Director-General Tsai Ming-yen’s (蔡明彥) appearance before the Foreign and National Defense Committee today. Last year, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted “Joint Sword-2024A and B” military exercises targeting Taiwan and carried out 40 combat readiness patrols, the bureau said. In addition, Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan’s airspace 3,070 times last year, up about
A magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 8:31am today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was located in Hualien County, about 70.3 kilometers south southwest of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 23.2km, according to the administration. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was highest in Taitung County, where it measured 3 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 2 in Hualien and Nantou counties, the CWA said.
The Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) yesterday announced a fundraising campaign to support survivors of the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, with two prayer events scheduled in Taipei and Taichung later this week. “While initial rescue operations have concluded [in Myanmar], many survivors are now facing increasingly difficult living conditions,” OCAC Minister Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青) told a news conference in Taipei. The fundraising campaign, which runs through May 31, is focused on supporting the reconstruction of damaged overseas compatriot schools, assisting students from Myanmar in Taiwan, and providing essential items, such as drinking water, food and medical supplies,
RSS