Tsai sworn in as Taiwan’s 1st female president
2016/05/23
President Tsai Ing-wen was sworn in May 20 as the 14th Republic of China (Taiwan) president in Taipei City, vowing in her inauguration address to build a better country for the younger generation and a united, efficient and pragmatic democracy for generations to come.
Addressing more than 20,000 people from home and abroad outside the Presidential Office, Tsai affirmed Taiwan’s role as a staunch guardian of peace. We will work to maintain peace and stability in cross-strait relations utilizing existing mechanisms for dialogue and communication across the Taiwan Strait, she said.
“By existing political foundations, I refer to a number of key elements. The first element is the fact of the 1992 talks between the two institutions representing each side across the strait, when there was joint acknowledgement of setting aside differences to seek common ground. This is a historical fact.
“The second element is the existing ROC constitutional order. The third element pertains to the outcomes of over 20 years of negotiations and interactions across the strait. And the fourth relates to the democratic principle and prevalent will of the people of Taiwan.”
“Taiwan will be an indispensable partner for the international community,” Tsai said, adding that as a “proactive communicator of peace,” Taiwan proposes setting aside disputes in the East China Sea and South China Sea so as to enable joint development.
“We will proactively participate in international economic and trade cooperation and integrate into important regional trade and commercial architecture,” she said, citing active participation in multilateral and bilateral free trade pacts including the Trans-Pacific Partnership and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
According to the president, Taiwan will also not be absent in combating global warming and climate change, as well as international cooperation on emerging global issues including humanitarian aid, medical assistance, disease prevention and research, anti-terrorism and transnational crime.
Tsai said in keeping with her New Southbound Policy, Taiwan will expand its dynamic relationships with India and Association of Southeast Asian Nations members. Southbound development is an important plank in Tsai’s New Model for Economic Development for Taiwan.
Furthermore, the new government aims to stimulate new momentum for growth. “We will prioritize our plans to promote five major innovative industries [Asian Silicon Valley, biotechnology and medicine, green energy, national defense and smart machinery], with the goal of reshaping Taiwan’s global competitiveness.”
Strengthening the social safety net is also a key area for the new government, as well as transforming Taiwan’s economic structures and achieving social fairness and justice. This includes pension reform, long-term health care and deepening Taiwan’s democratic institutions.
The people of Taiwan elected a new president and government with one single expectation: solving problems, Tsai said, vowing to face the challenges honestly and shoulder the responsibilities. She invites every citizen to join hands in carrying the future of Taiwan.
Nearly 700 dignitaries from 59 countries and territories, including all 22 ROC diplomatic allies, attended the inauguration. The ceremony featured a variety of musical and cultural presentations like “March of Taiwan Democracy,” which comprised performances by local groups. The event concluded with a rendition of “Ilha Formosa,” a song outlawed during the 38-year period of martial law, as the ROC air force Thunder Tigers Aerobatic Team conducted a flyover.
Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=244899&ctNode=2194&mp=9)
