In her final Double Ten National Day address as president yesterday, Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) not only laid out the state of the nation over the past year, she also summarized the objectives and achievements of her administration over her two terms in office, expressing her hope that the nation would build upon them to remain united and confident.
She touched upon her domestic achievements, but foreign affairs and the international security situation figured heavily in the speech.
As always in Taiwanese politics, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was the shadowy presence providing the context. Tsai did not mention the CCP by name, but alluded to it as the “other side of the Taiwan Strait,” which she mentioned about 10 times toward the end of the speech, before explicitly naming China and the “Beijing authorities” in the penultimate section.
She did not waste time getting to the subject of the nation’s indigenous submarine program and the importance of national defense, following the obligatory salutation to the dignitaries present and a brief remark about the COVID-19 pandemic.
On domestic issues, Tsai listed her social reform agenda, thanking public servants for their understanding over pension reform and why it was so important for stabilizing the nation’s finances. She also lauded Taiwan’s progressive policies on LGBT rights and same-sex marriage, while mentioning the yearly increases in the minimum wage and the provision of social housing.
She also talked about stabilizing the nation’s energy situation, the move toward sustainable sources of electricity and away from nuclear power, and aligning with international trends on zero carbon emissions. That section was wrapped up with the themes of developing the economy, shoring up national strength, ensuring national security, stabilizing cross-strait relations and securing international support.
She spoke about making Taiwan a valuable part of global supply chains, increasing exports to the US and signing bilateral agreements under the US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade, reaching new highs in trade with countries covered under the government’s New Southbound Policy, and bolstering ties with the EU, now Taiwan’s largest source of foreign investment. These were all part of overturning an over-reliance on a “single market” — the unspoken China.
This was where the CCP’s shadow could be felt.
Securing international support, and increasing Taiwan’s profile and value to the international community has been a major pillar of Tsai’s strategy and achievement over the past seven years. It has been obtained not only through direct diplomatic engagement and trade outreach, but through soft power, such as the provision of medical supplies during the pandemic and through its progressive record in Asia.
By this point she had developed the main thrust of her speech, which is when the 10 mentions of “the other side” began. She spoke about not provoking; never succumbing to pressure; deepening cooperation with other democracies — as a counterpoint to Beijing’s autocracy — to contribute to regional peace, including by bolstering relations with the US, Japan and other friends with like-minded values who have supported Taiwan in the international arena.
The nation has become the Taiwan of the world, able to be calm and self-assured while facing China, Tsai said.
This has been a significant achievement of her time in office, and her focus on it only makes sense within the context and mindset of continued pressure from the CCP, even if she did not mention it by name.
It is the right way for Taiwan to go, and hopefully whoever wins next year’s presidential election will build upon that base.
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