President Lai Ching-te delivered the National Day address in front of the Presidential Office Oct. 10 in Taipei City, vowing to make Taiwan a stronger force for regional peace, stability and prosperity.
At the celebration of the 113rd anniversary of the founding of the ROC (Taiwan), Lai said the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other. The PRC has no right to represent Taiwan’s 23 million people and his mission as president is to uphold the commitment to resist annexation or encroachment upon the country’s sovereignty.
To this end, Lai pledged to safeguard lives and property by implementation of the four pillars of peace action plan; by further developing the economy and expanding investment in social care. He cited three government committees established at the Presidential Office: climate change, health promotion and whole-of-society defense resilience, which deal with challenges like extreme weather and advance net-zero transition by 2050.
According to Lai, Taiwan is committed to strengthening resilience in national defense, economic livelihood, disaster prevention and democracy. The country is resolved to uphold cross-strait peace and stability and achieve global security and prosperity, he said, adding that Taiwan is willing to work with China on addressing global issues and called on Beijing to apply its influence to end conflicts like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and to shoulder international responsibility.
The president went on to elaborate on ways to promote the country’s economic development, achieve regional balance and ensure people’s well-being across generations. The government will further develop the five trusted industry sectors, expedite improvements to the safety of the national road network and implement measures including childcare for ages 0-6 and long-term care, among other tasks, while combatting fraud and housing speculation, he said.
Lai concluded by saying that the people of Taiwan share common convictions so their determination to defend national sovereignty and to protect their free and democratic way of life remain unchanged. The stronger the commitment of the Taiwan people, the greater the tenacity of democracy around the world, and vice versa, he added.
The president, along with Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, received congratulations from guests from around the world, including Prime Minister Feleti Teo of Tuvalu; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources, Petroleum, and Mining Cordel Hyde of Belize, among others; congress members and parliamentarians from Japan, the U.K. and the U.S.; as well as the diplomatic corps and representatives of foreign organizations in Taiwan.
President Lai Ching-te delivers his National Day address marking the 113rd anniversary of the ROC (Taiwan) Oct. 10 in Taipei City. (Courtesy of Presidential Office)
Source: October 11, 2024 Taiwan Today
