Tsai vows to build Taiwan into bilingual country

2020/11/25

President Tsai Ing-wen said Nov. 23 that the government is sparing no effort in building Taiwan into a bilingual country by 2030 and affording the people every opportunity to fully participate in the international community.
 
 Achieving a high standard of English proficiency is key to raising Taiwan’s profile abroad, Tsai said. This policymaking goal will enable younger generations to better connect with the world while more effectively sharing the country’s coronavirus-combating success, she added.
 
 Tsai made the remarks during the first consultation meeting for the bilingual country 2030 policy in Taipei City. High-profile participants included Vice President Lai Ching-te, Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung, National Development Council Minister Kung Ming-hsin and representatives from the academic and private sectors.
 
 Lai, a strong advocate of the farsighted initiative, said Tsai attaches great importance to implementation of the policy as evidenced by her inauguration address in May. It aims to upgrade the English capability of every child around the country, as well as enhance national competitiveness on the global stage, he added.
 
 Initiated by Lai in 2018 while serving as premier, the policy was approved by the Cabinet later the same year. Its bilingual-focused objectives span core areas such as education, government procurement procedures, investment and tourism.

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