President Tsai delivers New Year’s Day address

2020/01/03

President Tsai Ing-wen said Jan. 1, 2020, that the government is committed to defending Taiwan’s freedom, democracy and sovereignty while promoting peace, stability and prosperity throughout the Indo-Pacific.
 
 Taiwan will never accept China’s “one country, two systems,” Tsai said. The deteriorating situation in Hong Kong proves such a model is nonviable as democracy and authoritarianism cannot coexist, she added.
 
 Tsai made the remarks while delivering her New Year’s Day address at the Presidential Office in Taipei City.
 
 Tsai reiterated the government’s four musts and four understandings. The former are China must face the reality of the existence of the ROC (Taiwan); must respect the commitment of the 23 million people of Taiwan to freedom and democracy; must handle cross-strait differences peacefully, on a basis of equality; and it must be governments or government-authorized agencies that engage in negotiations.
 
 The understandings are China is the one undermining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, not Taiwan; China is using the “1992 consensus” to undermine the ROC (Taiwan); sovereignty cannot be exchanged for short-term economic benefits; and China is infiltrating all facets of Taiwanese society to sow division.
 
 Tsai said the four understandings are the most crucial foundations in uniting the country, and allows Taiwan to stand tall on the global stage. In addition, the Anti-Infiltration Act passed Dec. 31, 2019, by the Legislature will help safeguard national security and Taiwan’s democracy, she added.
 
 Regarding economy and trade, Taiwan’s economic growth rate topped the Asian tigers last year, Tsai said. This momentum will carry through 2020 and position the county as global hub of green energy, high-end manufacturing, talent cultivation, R&D, and regional capital and wealth management, she added.
 
 Tsai said Taiwan has also made contributions to the Indo-Pacific, citing examples such as the Taiwan-U.S. Global Cooperation and Training Framework and the New Southbound Policy.
 
 The GCTF spans disaster relief, education, environmental protection, humanitarian assistance, public health and women’s empowerment, while the NSP aims to deepen Taiwan’s relations with the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, six South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand.

Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)