President William Lai’s (賴清德) first Double Ten National Day address indicates that he would not be rash or adopt provocative cross-strait policies, and undercuts international doubt over Lai, experts said yesterday.
China and pro-unification groups in Taiwan have constantly sought to discredit Lai by claiming that he had adopted a “pragmatic” attitude toward Taiwanese independence, National Cheng Kung University political science professor Hung Chin-fu (洪敬富) said.
Lai’s speeches at his inaugural ceremony, the National Day gala on Saturday and the National Day address yesterday adopted the same pragmatic and confident stance on cross-strait affairs, Hung said.
Photo: CNA
Lai’s mention of the Wuchang Uprising in 1911, the Battle of Guningtou, the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis 66 years ago and the Formosa incident in 1979 helped string together Taiwan and the Republic of China (ROC) in Taiwan under the historical perspective of the ROC, Hung said.
Claims that the president is still an independence supporter after these speeches now seem weak, Hung added.
Hung also said that Lai’s speech offered an olive branch to Beijing, stating that both sides could work on climate change, pandemic prevention, and maintaining regional safety on an equal footing and with mutual respect.
National Taiwan University associate professor of political science Chen Shih-min (陳世民) said that Lai mentioned the ROC and the ROC, Taiwan 10 times, which set him apart from his predecessor.
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) mentioned the ROC seven times during her National Day address last year and five times in 2022.
Chen said Lai is more accommodating of the ROC’s historical perspective and wants to build national unity to mitigate the possibility of Beijing fomenting dissent within Taiwan.
Commenting on his National Day gala statements at the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Central Standing Committee meeting, Lai said the speech was in line with the DPP’s Resolution on Taiwan’s Future, Tsai’s “four musts” policy and his own “four pillars” policy.
The DPP in 1999 adopted the resolution, which states that Taiwan is a sovereign and independent nation and that any change of status must be decided by the people of Taiwan.
Tsai in her New Year’s Day speech in 2019 said that China must recognize the existence of the ROC, respect the values of democracy and freedom Taiwan’s 23 million people hold dear, resolve cross-strait differences in a peaceful and equitable manner, and engage in negotiations with the government of Taiwan or an institution with a mandate from the government.
Lai’s vision has moved beyond the Taiwan Strait and he set his sights on international affairs, Prospect Foundation president Lai I-chung (賴怡忠) said.
Compared to previous presidents, Lai’s speech is much more friendly and also exhorts Beijing to live up to its international role, Lai I-chung said.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
RSS