Amid yesterday’s performances and martial arts displays, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) took to the stage, as she has every year during her tenure, to deliver her Double Ten National Day address.
The focus of her speech, “Island of Resilience: A Better Taiwan for the World,” responded to growing anxieties influenced by this eventful year: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, increased Chinese military activity around Taiwan and the nation’s emergence from three years of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also included an overt nod to increased international attention toward the nation, particularly its response to Chinese aggression.
Although there was nothing surprising in her address, there were a few notable additions compared with previous years. Expounding on this year’s theme of “guarding our country together,” Tsai gave particular attention to every citizen’s role as “a guardian of our nation,” praising those who have participated in classes on community defense and first aid as examples of “the true meaning of collective participation in national defense.” After watching Ukrainians valiantly stand up to their invaders, the importance of civilian participation has never been clearer. Stronger governmental support for reservists and grassroots response initiatives is a welcome tonal shift. It is hopefully a policy direction that continues to develop.
Even though defense was this year’s theme, the festivities focused more on Taiwan’s culture and society than on military might. Instead of last year’s missiles and soldiers, the highlight was the delightful Kyoto Tachibana Senior High School marching band and a delegation from the Taiwan-Japan Parliamentary Amity Association, marking the first time foreign groups have been invited to participate in the National Day parade. For a year marked by international visits by increasingly high-ranking officials, giving prominence to Taiwan-Japan ties sent a powerful message to the world that Taiwan values its democratic partners.
Defense was also covered in a small portion of Tsai’s speech in which she largely reiterated her administration’s ongoing initiatives to expand the economy and strengthen the social safety net. Similar to the past two years, she praised the nation’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as worthy of the global recognition it received. She also touted Taiwan’s ability to grow its economy even as most others slowed, before warning of a potential economic downturn amid the changing global landscape.
Her segment on social resilience emphasized economic equality and touched on her administration’s efforts to address the declining birthrate, housing issues, wages, and physical and mental health. Disaster response and the need for “mental resilience” were a particular highlight, especially as the memory of last month’s damaging earthquakes remain fresh in people’s minds.
Seeking to prime the public against Chinese misinformation in the lead-up to November’s local elections, Tsai condemned Beijing’s attempts to exploit the fierce competition between political parties and called for an “unbreakable national consensus” on commitment to a free and democratic system. She highlighted transparency and fact-checking as the keys to combating misinformation, touting the regular news conferences held by the Central Epidemic Command Center as a model for government transparency. She also offered some strong words to Beijing, declaring multiple times that there is “no room for compromise” on Taiwan’s sovereignty and freedom, while even offering to engage in dialogue.
“Resilience” is the perfect word to encapsulate Taiwan’s response to the challenges ahead. Whether in economic, defensive or social spheres, Taiwan continually demonstrates its ability to forge ahead, even against immense odds.
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