Taiwan National day’s Theme “Taiwan, Together”

President Tsai Ing-wen delivered her address toward the crowd during the ceremony of Taiwan’s national day on October 10, 2018. Tsai emphasized the government will continue to safeguard Taiwan, maintain stability across the Taiwan Strait and ensure the country’s sustainability. The following is the highlight of her speech, titled ‘Democratic Taiwan lights up the world”.

In the past year, all countries have been tested by the changing international landscape, and Taiwan is no exception. The government is constantly looking for opportunities within these challenges, and our country’s optimal strategic position and path to the future in a changing world.   The US-China trade dispute has led to a restructuring of the global industrial division of labor, with repercussion for the existing economic and trade war.  For some time now, China’s unilateral diplomatic offensive and military coercion have not only harmed cross-strait relations.  They have also seriously challenged the status quo of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.  The more dramatically things change, the more Taiwan has to maintain stability, remain composed to reduce pressure, and calmly find our survival niche.   The people of Taiwan will never accept any attempt by external forces to unilaterally change the cross-strait status quo.  And the international community will never approve of and support the violation of universal values.  Son once again, I am calling on the authorities in Beijing, as a responsible major power, to play a positive role in the region and the world, instead of being a source of conflict.  In a world of dramatic change, we will continue to make Taiwan stronger, and irreplaceable in the global community.  

Current challenges to our national security go beyond traditional defense and military security.   Diplomatic pressure, social infiltration, and economic security are all potential threats.  Our current priority is to formulate an overall strategy, and bolster our national security.   The first element in fortifying our national security is to strengthen value-based diplomatic links.    The second is to upgrade our national defense capabilities.  The third is to prevent foreign powers from infiltrating and subverting our society.  The fourth is to realign and rearrange our global economic and trade strategy.  We have always believed that our distinctive resilience allows Taiwanese to respond to never-ending internal and external challenges by coming together to make this country better.