President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) last night vowed that Taiwan would fight for regional stability and peace with like-minded partners in a speech at an event in Taoyuan ahead of Double Ten National Day celebrations today.
“The world has seen Taiwan’s tenacity and determination to safeguard democracy and freedom,” Tsai told the gathering at Taoyuan Sunlight Arena.
Quoting the theme of this year’s celebrations — “Guard Our Country Together” — she said that Taiwanese over the past year have worked to overcome many challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photo provided by the Taoyuan Gity Government
With Taiwan reopening its borders to international travelers on Thursday, she invited people around the world to visit Taiwan, a nation that can facilitate international exchanges, she said.
Double Ten National Day celebrations are to start today at 9am at the Presidential Office Building in Taipei, the planning committee said.
Tsai’s national day address today is to be based on the theme “Bring the World a Better Taiwan — a Tough Island, a Nation with Tenacity,” sources said last night.
Photo: CNA
It is to focus on the economy, security and democracy, and how Taiwan would affect the development of the world in the post-pandemic era, sources said.
Tsai is to make “creating a country with tenacity” the main goal for the rest of her term, including building stronger industries, a more thorough social security net, a better democratic and free system as well as greater national security capabilities, they said.
About 160 foreign guests are expected to attend the celebrations, including 80 members of foreign delegations and 80 representatives to Taiwan from the nation’s diplomatic allies and countries friendly to Taiwan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs deputy spokesperson Hsiao Kuang-wei (蕭光偉) said yesterday.
The ministry thanked the delegations for visiting Taiwan during the COVID-19 pandemic and thanked representatives for their congratulatory messages.
Among them is a Canadian cross-party delegation led by lawmaker Judy Sgro, who arrived yesterday.
It is the first Canadian parliamentary delegation to visit Taiwan since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic more than two years ago, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, adding that the visitors bring good wishes from the Canadian parliament, as their arrival comes just as Taiwan is set to celebrate Double Ten National Day.
In addition to the events in northern Taiwan, about 26,000 fireworks are to be set off over 30 minutes in Chiayi County, the committee said.
A dancing water display featuring a light sculpture projection, along with a sound and light show, would be staged at the National Palace Museum Southern Branch, it added.
In Washington, the Taiwanese American Association of Greater Baltimore and Columbia on Saturday held a Double Ten National Day celebration at the Culture Center of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office.
Representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴); Hudson Institute senior fellow Miles Yu (余茂春), who was previously a China policy adviser to former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo; and Maryland State Senator Clarence Lam (林力圖) were invited to give speeches at the event.
“Security is the toughest challenge that Taiwan is facing,” Hsiao said, adding that she would strive to ensure the nation is capable of safeguarding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
She added that she would also help build tenacity in the economy, because “for Taiwan to be strong, its economy has to be strong.”
Additional reporting by Chen Yun
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