PresidentSince Taiwan changed its ruling party in 2000, despite our continued goodwill and countless olive branches, China has continued to expand its missile deployment and military threats against us. Recently, China's army has even set a clear 3-stage plan to conquer Taiwan. This action has underscored China's intent to use non-peaceful means to alter the status quo according to its "anti-paration law" passed in 2005. This undoubtedly represents the most substantial and urgent threat to democratic Taiwan.
Next month will mark the tenth anniversary of the "Taiwan Strait Crisis of 1996" and the first anniversary of China's "anti-separation law." Against this backdrop, today's high-level national security conference is to assess the future of the National Unification Council and the National Unification Guidelines. Moreover, the conference possesses an even more serious and critical meaning, that is, to safeguard democracy and preserve the status quo. By safeguarding democracy, we can implement the democratic principle of respecting the people's right to determine their own destiny and ensure the right and freewill to choose of the 23 million Taiwan people. By preserving the status quo, we can ensure that the status quo of Taiwan's democracy, freedom and human rights, as well as the peaceful status quo of the Taiwan Strait will not be unilaterally altered.
Democracy is Taiwan's most treasured asset. It is because of democracy that everyone in Taiwan can freely express his position on any political issue. As a responsible government, however, we have to be firm on our stances and proceed with our goals pragmatically. Only by doing what's right and taking the correct path can we be responsible to our history and to our people.
Without further ado, let's proceed with today's agenda.