President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday reiterated the importance of maintaining the “status quo” and called on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to seek peaceful coexistence in her Double Ten National Day speech.
Presiding over the National Day celebration as president for the last time, Tsai called for cross-strait peace and reflected on the milestones of the past seven years since she first took office in 2016.
“My administration has kept its promises and maintained the ‘status quo.’ We have adhered to the four commitments. We do not provoke, we do not act rashly and we will absolutely not bow to pressure,” Tsai said.
Photo: Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Reuters
Taiwan, as a force for good in the world, has been working with like-minded partners to safeguard regional peace and stability, as well as providing assistance to nations in need, she said.
Taiwan has proved itself to be a “reliable, effective and safe partner to the world” in geopolitics, democracy and supply chains, which has earned the nation unprecedented international support, she said.
“Since this is a time we can now face the world with confidence and resolve, we can also be calm and self-assured in facing China, creating conditions for peaceful coexistence and future development across the Taiwan Strait,” she said. “Peace is the only option across the Strait.”
Photo: AP
“Peaceful and stable cross-strait relations” should not undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty, democracy and freedom, and should be based on a public consensus and respect for historical facts, she said.
Tsai called on political parties to unite in the face of external challenges after the presidential and legislative elections in January next year.
Seeking a mutually acceptable coexistence with Beijing “is not only the shared responsibility of Taiwan’s political parties, it is also an unavoidable historic responsibility and common mission across the Strait,” she said.
Photo: AP
On domestic issues, Tsai highlighted Taiwan’s first domestically built submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤號), which was launched last month and is to be in service by 2025.
After 30 years of hard work, “we did it,” she said.
The submarine is a big step forward for Taiwan’s national defense self-sufficiency and asymmetric combat capabilities, Tsai said.
“We once again demonstrated our resolve to defend Taiwan,” she said.
Taiwan has increased its national strength by building an economy that is “highly resilient” and “a key force in the restructuring of global supply chains,” she said.
Not only has the GDP grown considerably, but Taiwan has also strengthened its trade relations with the US, countries included in the New Southbound Policy and Europe in the past seven years, Tsai said.
She thanked Taiwanese for overcoming challenges to legalize same-sex marriage, raise the minimum wage, increase the supply of energy from renewable sources and promote social housing, as well as introducing pension reform and labor finance reform.
As Tsai’s second and final term as president is to end on May 20 next year, she said that she is “infinitely grateful” to Taiwanese for giving her two chances to govern, adding that “our country will continue moving forward.”
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