In her National Day Address on Oct. 10 last year, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said: “As we face unique international circumstances and rapidly changing challenges, if we do not move forward, we will move backward.”
She admitted that there had been areas of her governance that had not met expectations. She said that those in power in a democratic country can never be complacent, and that “each act of governance must bring the people greater satisfaction.” She said that although her term would soon come to an end, Taiwan would continue moving forward.
As Monday’s inauguration of incoming president William Lai (賴清德) and his new administration approaches, let us call upon everyone in Taiwan to fully support the government.
Since legislators elected in January were sworn in three months ago, there has been a series of chaotic situations in the Legislative Yuan.
Everyone concerned should bear in mind that the most crucial factor for Taiwan’s social stability is trust.
Our current in-person voting system is still the best option, and it would be very unwise to push for the highly controversial option of absentee voting.
With regard to major bills, the Democratic Progressive Party should seek the support of the majority of legislators, and should not limit itself because it holds a minority of seats.
As to how, if at all, the Legislative Yuan should be reformed, any such reform should be centered on the values of democracy, freedom, independence and self-determination.
The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) practice of putting China’s interests above those of Taiwan should be firmly opposed.
When it becomes necessary, the nation’s Constitution should be rewritten to solve Taiwan’s long-standing constitutional problems.
The importance of pension reform should also not be overlooked. The government must forge ahead with reform to safeguard Taiwan’s development and long-term interests.
Furthermore, the large number of Chinese spouses and family dependents coming to Taiwan would increase the burden on healthcare services, so the government must take a rational view of proposed legal amendments regarding the National Health Insurance program, so as to safeguard Taiwan’s healthcare resources and personnel.
In the field of education, we need to teach the next generation to understand Taiwan’s multicultural values.
The education system should clearly explain the importance of Taiwan’s sovereignty, democracy and freedom. It should encourage students to participate in civil society. Education should emphasize respect and equality between genders.
The young generation should understand environmental protection and the challenges facing sustainable development.
National defense is essential for ensuring Taiwan’s security. Strategic goals, policies and their implementation should stand above party-political positions.
All parties should work to promote and strengthen the policy of all-out defense and establish an all-out defense promotion committee.
Let us hope that the new Cabinet, with its emphasis on artificial intelligence and innovation, would promote Taiwan’s humanistic education, and use cultural and creative industries to promote local creativity.
As Taiwan’s democracy grows more resilient, it would make Taiwan stronger and more prosperous as it marches toward a new age of artificial intelligence.
Pan Wei-yiu is the secretary-general of the Northern Taiwan Society.
Translated by Julian Clegg
The gutting of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) by US President Donald Trump’s administration poses a serious threat to the global voice of freedom, particularly for those living under authoritarian regimes such as China. The US — hailed as the model of liberal democracy — has the moral responsibility to uphold the values it champions. In undermining these institutions, the US risks diminishing its “soft power,” a pivotal pillar of its global influence. VOA Tibetan and RFA Tibetan played an enormous role in promoting the strong image of the US in and outside Tibet. On VOA Tibetan,
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), caused a national outrage and drew diplomatic condemnation on Tuesday after he arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office dressed in a Nazi uniform. Sung performed a Nazi salute and carried a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf as he arrived to be questioned over allegations of signature forgery in the recall petition. The KMT’s response to the incident has shown a striking lack of contrition and decency. Rather than apologizing and distancing itself from Sung’s actions,
US President Trump weighed into the state of America’s semiconductor manufacturing when he declared, “They [Taiwan] stole it from us. They took it from us, and I don’t blame them. I give them credit.” At a prior White House event President Trump hosted TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家), head of the world’s largest and most advanced chip manufacturer, to announce a commitment to invest US$100 billion in America. The president then shifted his previously critical rhetoric on Taiwan and put off tariffs on its chips. Now we learn that the Trump Administration is conducting a “trade investigation” on semiconductors which
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then
RSS