The vision of a president does not lie in responding to public opinion, but in leading the nation’s direction. If President William Lai (賴清德) wants to be a true leader, he must take the initiative to lay out a 10-year blueprint for Taiwan, acting as a clear guiding North Star to show the direction and presenting a flagship program for Taiwanese to follow.
Security resilience is a primary mission. As Taiwan confronts external threats, it must advance an all-out defense strategy and strengthen defense technologies, including drones, cyberwarfare and backup energy to ensure that people’s livelihoods and combat readiness are not paralyzed.
Taiwan needs a comprehensive upgrade to the economy. The semiconductor industry is a strength, but it is not enough to secure the nation’s future. Lai should oversee the legislative process to introduce policies that help small and medium-sized enterprises to adopt artificial intelligence, and chart new directions in net zero technology, biotechnology and cultural content to ensure Taiwan’s position in the global supply chain.
To give hope to young people, the government should propose a “national youth taskforce” to encourage young people to gain experience abroad, develop apprenticeships and support them to revitalize their hometowns. Also, the government should provide social housing and reform the tax system, enabling young Taiwanese to afford housing and have a more promising future.
Lai needs to rebuild integrity within the judiciary and finance. Public trust could be regained by introducing judicial evaluations and enhancing transparency. A fiscal policy for gold should be established to distinguish investment from expenditure, preventing public finances from being misused to solicit votes during elections, when financial issues are often reduced to campaign issues to debate and then forget.
Culture and language policy must reflect the identity of being Taiwanese. Although Taiwanese make up the majority of the population, there is still no government body or systematic cultural development to protect and preserve Taiwanese identity through culture and language. Taiwan should promote the Hoklo language (commonly known as Taiwanese) and collective memory, and encourage cultural diffusion to promote community cohesion.
Lai should declare Taiwan’s role in the democratic supply chain, pursue free-trade agreements and publish a national narrative white paper to demonstrate Taiwan’s international statehood.
The president should not passively respond to circumstances, he must lead. If Lai can deliver progress in security, income and culture, he could be a true leader who is capable of guiding Taiwan for the next decade.
Hsiao Hsi-huei is a freelance writer.
Translated by Lai Wen-chieh
Taiwanese pragmatism has long been praised when it comes to addressing Chinese attempts to erase Taiwan from the international stage. “Taipei” and the even more inaccurate and degrading “Chinese Taipei,” imposed titles required to participate in international events, are loathed by Taiwanese. That is why there was huge applause in Taiwan when Japanese public broadcaster NHK referred to the Taiwanese Olympic team as “Taiwan,” instead of “Chinese Taipei” during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics. What is standard protocol for most nations — calling a national team by the name their country is commonly known by — is impossible for
India is not China, and many of its residents fear it never will be. It is hard to imagine a future in which the subcontinent’s manufacturing dominates the world, its foreign investment shapes nations’ destinies, and the challenge of its economic system forces the West to reshape its own policies and principles. However, that is, apparently, what the US administration fears. Speaking in New Delhi last week, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau warned that “we will not make the same mistakes with India that we did with China 20 years ago.” Although he claimed the recently agreed framework
The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) on Wednesday last week announced it is launching investigations into 16 US trading partners, including Taiwan, under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 to determine whether they have engaged in unfair trade practices, such as overproduction. A day later, the agency announced a separate Section 301 investigation into 60 economies based on the implementation of measures to prohibit the importation of goods produced with forced labor. Several of Taiwan’s main trading rivals — including China, Japan, South Korea and the EU — also made the US’ investigation list. The announcements come
Taiwan is not invited to the table. It never has been, but this year, with the Philippines holding the ASEAN chair, the question that matters is no longer who gets formally named, it is who becomes structurally indispensable. The “one China” formula continues to do its job. It sets the outer boundary of official diplomatic speech, and no one in the region has a serious interest in openly challenging it. However, beneath the surface, something is thickening. Trade corridors, digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence (AI) cooperation, supply chains, cross-border investment: The connective tissue between Taiwan and ASEAN is quietly and methodically growing
RSS