Vice President William Lai (賴清德) on Sunday pledged to safeguard democracy and freedom in Taiwan and never back down from authoritarian intimidation.
Lai was speaking before a group of overseas Taiwanese during a stopover in New York on his way to attend the inauguration of Paraguayan president-elect Santiago Pena today.
“Only domestic unity can win international support,” Lai told more than 700 overseas Taiwanese at a banquet held at The Glasshouse private event space on Sunday.
Photo: CNA
He expressed his gratitude to the US for supporting Taiwan and helping arrange the stopover, despite pressure from China.
He also thanked the group of overseas Taiwanese, who he said had gathered because they share the same sentiment, values and goals, and identify with Taiwan.
Taiwan is becoming more important to the world, not only because it produces more than 90 percent of the world’s advanced chips, but also because of its success in combating the COVID-19 pandemic and international aid offered to Ukraine, he said.
The efforts embodied the spirit of Taiwanese — positive and forward-looking, warm and kind, and a responsible member of the global community, he said.
Taiwanese value freedom and democracy, and are determined to pass down this hard-earned free and open society to future generations, he said.
Democracy ties Taiwan to the world, Lai said, citing the US Congress proposing nearly 30 Taiwan-friendly bills or resolutions in the past six months and the passing of the first agreement under the US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade.
Taiwan’s diplomatic efforts have won the support of international society, with leading global figures visiting Taiwan to demonstrate their friendship with the country, he said.
Taiwan would never shrink back from authoritarian threats; instead, the nation would uphold the values of democracy and freedom, and join hands with democratic partners to safeguard stability in the Indo-Pacific region, he said.
He called on all political parties to put national interests ahead of party interests in the pursuit of democracy, peace and prosperity.
Taiwan is on the path of democracy and should not turn around out of fear of authoritarianism, he said.
He promised to protect and strengthen Taiwan, as well as facilitate the progress of the nation with innovative and progressive policies.
On cross-strait relations, he said that as long as dignity and equality are ensured, he would be happy to engage in dialogue and cooperation with China to facilitate peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Managing Director Ingrid Larson said that the US supports Taiwan’s inclusion in international organizations, as Taiwanese deserve to be part of the international community, and the international community needs Taiwan’s critical support as it responds to global challenges.
AIT Chair Laura Rosenberger, who could not attend because she was at her sister’s wedding, said in a prerecorded video that she looked forward to meeting Lai in San Francisco on his way back from Paraguay.
Maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is in the US’ and Taiwan’s interests, she said, adding that Washington remains committed to supporting Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities.
Later on Sunday, Lai met with young Taiwanese who hold important positions in key fields in the US, urging them to join his efforts in building a stronger Taiwan.
Lai hopes to learn from these young people about the newest developments and prospects in fields such as superconductors and quantum mechanics, biomedicine, higher education, law and politics, and the advice they have for Taiwan’s development, the Presidential Office said.
Additional reporting by CNA
Foreign tourists who purchase a seven-day Taiwan Pass are to get a second one free of charge as part of a government bid to boost tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. A pair of Taiwan Passes is priced at NT$5,000 (US$156.44), an agency staff member said, adding that the passes can be used separately. The pass can be used in many of Taiwan’s major cities and to travel to several tourist resorts. It expires seven days after it is first used. The pass is a three-in-one package covering the high-speed rail system, mass rapid transport (MRT) services and the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle services,
Drinking a lot of water or milk would not help a person who has ingested terbufos, a toxic chemical that has been identified as the likely cause of three deaths, a health expert said yesterday. An 83-year-old woman surnamed Tseng (曾) and two others died this week after eating millet dumplings with snails that Tseng had made. Tseng died on Tuesday and others ate the leftovers when they went to her home to mourn her death that evening. Twelve people became ill after eating the dumplings following Tseng’s death. Their symptoms included vomiting and convulsions. Six were hospitalized, with two of them
DIVA-READY: The city’s deadline for the repairs is one day before pop star Jody Chiang is to perform at the Taipei Dome for the city’s Double Ten National Day celebrations The Taipei City Government has asked Farglory Group (遠雄集團) to repair serious water leaks in the Taipei Dome before Friday next week, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said yesterday, following complaints that many areas at the stadium were leaking during two baseball games over the weekend. The dome on Saturday and Sunday hosted two games in tribute to CTBC Brothers’ star Chou Szu-chi (周思齊) ahead of his retirement from the CPBL. The games each attracted about 40,000 people, filling the stadium to capacity. However, amid heavy rain, many people reported water leaking on some seats, at the entrance and exit areas, and the
BIG collection: The herbarium holds more than 560,000 specimens, from the Japanese colonial period to the present, including the Wulai azalea, which is now extinct in the wild The largest collection of plant specimens in Taiwan, the Taipei Botanical Garden’s herbarium, is celebrating its 100th anniversary with an exhibition that opened on Friday. The herbarium provides critical historical documents for botanists and is the first of its kind in Taiwan, Taiwan Forestry Research Institute director Tseng Yen-hsueh (曾彥學) said. It is housed in a two-story red brick building, which opened during 1924. At the time, it stored 30,000 plant specimens from almost 6,000 species, including Taiwanese plant samples collected by Tomitaro Makino, the “father of Japanese botany,” Tseng said. The herbarium collection has grown in the century since its