Lai Ching-te of Taiwan, known as his Western brand William Lai, delivered his inaugural address on Monday night.
Lai demanded that the People’s Republic of China ( PRC ) stop its “political and military intimidation of Taiwan” and “ensure the world is free from the fear of war.”
In the January election, Lai defeated two left-wing foes with a strong victory, but his Democratic Progressive Party ( DPP ) did not perform as well in parliamentary races. As he stated in his annual talk, Lai succeeded Tsai Ing-wen, the DPP’s incoming leader, to “break the eight-year curse.” No other group has been able to hold the president for more than eight years in Taiwan’s history.
” The reality is that, in a democracy, the individuals have the ultimate say”, Lai said on Monday. ” There is no such item as a’ scourge’ in any election. Simply put, the individuals elect the ruling party to the most difficult of checks and make the most informed decisions about the country’s future.
Lai acknowledged that Taiwan’s record as a vivid multi-party democracy that flourished in the authoritarian PRC’s long and cold darkness is even shorter than younger people might think. He noted that since then, Taiwan’s second democratically elected president has been in power three times between political parties.
” Every day of my name, I will try to show myself as someone in whom you can believe and depend on, by acting justifiably, showing kindness, and being sincere, and by treating our people as home”, he promised.
A fresh Congressional Yuan was sworn in in February of this year. This is the first time a group has an overall majority in 16 years. In the face of this innovative social environment, some are feeling excitement, while others are anxious”, he acknowledged.
” I want to let everyone know that this innovative structure was created as a result of the person’s choices. With a unique perspective, he said, a lack of complete lot means that the ruling and opposition parties are now all able to share their thoughts and that we will be tackling the country’s issues as one.
Lai pleaded with the social majority and minority voices to respect one another in order to “maintain a steady and harmonious society.” She also urged the legislature to “observe procedural justice.”
This may have been an ode to the fight that broke out in the Congressional Yuan on Friday over a plan to give the government more authority over the government, which its opponents criticized as a plot by criticism leaders to weaken Lai’s leadership before he took business.
Chung Chia-pin, a ruling member of Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party ( DPP ), watches as parliament speaker Han Kuo-yu ( 2nd-L) casts his hand over to the ruling KMT Chen Ching-hui during the May 17 election for the Parliament reform bill at Parliament in Taipei. ( SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images )
In a world in which communist China is extremely hostile toward Taiwan, Lai emphasized Taiwan’s value as a push for democracy, harmony, and human rights, particularly in a country rocked by issues like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Jewish self-defense activity in Gaza.
Lai thanked the United States for supporting Taiwan and upholding the Indo-Pacific region’s freedom of navigation, and promised to do his part by refraining from threats. This is a crucial line to his conversation given his portrayal as a” dissident” in Chinese advertising.
The USS Chung- Hoon observes a Chinese military send perform what it called an “unsafe” Chinese manoeuvre in the Taiwan Strait, Saturday, June 3, 2023, in which the Taiwanese navy ship cut quickly across the path of the American destroyer, forcing the U. S. ship to decrease to avoid a collision. The incident occurred as the American destroyer and the Canadian frigate HMCS Montreal were moving across the strait between Taiwan and mainland China in a so-called “freedom of navigation” exercise. ( Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Andre T. Richard/U. S. Navy via AP )
The new Taiwanese president demanded in return that China stop its “gray zone” intimidation campaign and join his government in taking on” the global responsibility of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.”
Lai urged his people to be realistic about the likelihood of the PRC ratifying his request for peace:
Taiwanese are a peaceful people who treat others with kindness. I’ve always believed that peaceful coexistence, mutual benefit, and peace in the Taiwan Strait would be common goals if a country’s leader prioritizes the welfare of its citizens above all.
Therefore, I hope that China will face the reality of the Republic of China’s existence, respect the choices of the people of Taiwan, and in good faith, choose dialogue over confrontation, exchange over containment, and under the principles of parity and dignity, engage in cooperation with the legal government chosen by Taiwan’s people. This can begin with the resume of reciprocal tourism and the enrollment of degree candidates in Taiwanese institutions. Let us together pursue peace and mutual prosperity.
My fellow citizens: As we pursue the ideal of peace, we must not harbor any delusions. So long as China refuses to renounce the use of force against Taiwan, all of us in Taiwan ought to understand, that even if we accept the entirety of China’s position and give up our sovereignty, China’s ambition to annex Taiwan will not simply disappear.
Lai’s inaugural address, which included a promise to carry out his predecessor’s policies, ranged from strengthening national defense to maintaining a leading position in high-tech sectors, including artificial intelligence ( AI ) research.  ,
Lai envisioned Taiwan evolving from the” silicon island”, where the world’s vital computer chips are made, into an” AI island” that develops new methods of harnessing AI power to “make our nation, our military, our workforce, and our economy stronger”.
” Taiwan has an influence on global economic development, as well as humanity’s well- being and prosperity”, he observed.
In his more diplomatic speech, Lai made a sharp jab at his more PRC-friendly rivals and called on all Taiwanese to “oppose annexation” and refrain from “giving up our national sovereignty in exchange for political power.”
There is growing evidence that Taiwan is a worthy and trustworthy force for global peace and prosperity as more nations around the world publicly express their support for Taiwan’s meaningful international participation, he declared, asking the audience to give a round of applause to all of the island’s foreign friends.
Lai’s inauguration was attended by representatives from the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Canada, and the dozen other nations that still have formal relations with Taiwan after a bruising eight- year campaign by the PRC to peel off Taiwan’s allies.
Lai’s inaugural address was mocked by the PRC, who said that” Taiwan independence leads nowhere.”
” No matter what banner or pretext the separatists use,’ Taiwan independence’ is doomed to failure”, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman , Wang Wenbin said on Monday.
Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry ( Liu Zheng/AP ),
” Taiwan is not a country. It has been a fundamental part of China’s territory since antiquity,” Wang said, launching into a protracted debate against American efforts to keep Taiwan’s autonomy.
” China will and must achieve reunification. No one or force can stop it. Our message to some US residents is that the world is moving in a faster direction. Those who follow the trend will prosper, those who go against it will perish”, Wang said.
Later in his press conference, Wang resurrected, pleading with all countries that want to cooperate with Beijing’s Communist regime to reaffirm their commitment to the” One China principle,” which argues that Taiawn is a province of China, and reject “external interference in the Taiwan issue.”
” The political manipulation and self-serving stunts by some politicians in a select few nations on the Taiwan issue seriously interfere with China’s internal affairs and go against the one-China principle. China” strongly condemns this” and will take all necessary steps to defend its territorial integrity and national sovereignty,” Wang rebuked.
