May 20, 2015 marked the seventh anniversary of President Ma Ying-jeou's inauguration. The president specially invited senior advisors, national policy advisors, as well as many friends from various walks of life throughout Taiwan to attest to the changes and growth that the nation has experienced over the past seven years. He delivered an address entitled "Seven Years of Striving: Taiwan Forges Ahead."
The following is a translation of the president's remarks:
Today I see quite a few familiar faces, which makes me feel right at home. It's quite touching, and inspiring.
I see Ah-ma [Taiwanese for "grandmother"] Lienhua. Every time I see her I am always surprised. She is over 90 years old—and still looks great. What also comes to mind are the books "Youth Inside the Tin Box" and "Silent Scars: History of Sexual Slavery by the Japanese Military," as well as all that she has experienced and has had to bear over the years—the tragic stories of an entire era. Ah-ma Lienhua, you're welcome to come back and visit anytime.
I also see here Ms. Xu Yijun (徐怡君) and Mr. Fan Gangren (范剛仁) from Guanxi Township in Hsinchu County. This young couple understands how to apply technology in farming. They use "drip irrigation," which provides a trickle of water to the soil to grow tomatoes and strawberries, cutting water usage by half. Ms. Xu and Mr. Fan, you not only conserve water in growing your tomatoes and strawberries, but the fruit you harvest is delicious.
I also see Air Force pilot Lieutenant Kao Tzuyu (高慈妤), the ROC's first female flight officer to graduate from the regular classes of the ROC Air Force Academy. She just completed solo flight training in the F-5E jetfighter, with outstanding marks. This gets me to thinking about Private Lu Yuangang (呂元剛) of the ROC's Airborne Special Operations Forces. He graduated with a master's degree from National Tsing Hua University's Institute of Communications Engineering. While doing his compulsory military service, he saw the reforms instituted following the Hong Zhongqiu (洪仲丘) incident and decided to make a career in the army. These two young people prove that the military reforms of the past several years have moved things in the right direction. A volunteer army system will improve the overall quality of the nation's military personnel, and give us an increasingly powerful fighting force.
Many other old friends are here, and I'm sorry that I'm unable to greet each one of you personally. These old friends are from all different corners of Taiwan and from different backgrounds, with many different types of jobs. But they have something in common, something shared by all the people of Taiwan: everyone has been through the ups and downs that Taiwan has experienced over the years. In my inauguration address in 2008, I stated that the people of Taiwan have six traditional core values: benevolence, righteousness, diligence, honesty, generosity, and industriousness. These friends of mine are no different from you and me in that we are all Taiwanese who possess these precious values. They have witnessed the real changes in Taiwan over the past seven years, and also hope that in the future our nation will continue to move forward on the right path.
Over the past seven years the Taiwan Strait has become peaceful, stable, and prosperous. The Republic of China has become more respected in the international community and enjoys greater dignity. We have truly realized Confucius' assertion about good government: "When those who are near are made happy, those from afar will be attracted." So last year, nearly 10 million tourists came to Taiwan, which is 2.6 times what it was when I took office. Those tourists generated over NT$400 billion in foreign exchange income. Taiwan has bettered both Japan and Korea in terms of the ratio of incoming tourists to total population (a way to measure tourism industry performance), and in terms of purchasing power parity (a way to measure GDP). The number of crimes and traffic accidents in Taiwan has fallen sharply, making the ROC the second-safest country in the world. We have bolstered the quality, discipline, and efficiency of our justice system, and Taiwan's ranking on the Corruption Perceptions Index is the fifth-best in Asia. The level of gender equality in Taiwan is tops in Asia and second in the world. We respect rule of law and protect human rights, in line with the world's other democratic nations. Taiwan's internal development is also more balanced. We have six special municipalities, the Wu-Yang Viaduct is now open, and electrification and double tracking of the more congested sections of Taiwan Railways' Hualien-Taitung Line have been completed. This has laid the groundwork for brand new opportunities for the development of eastern Taiwan. The Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum and the Taoyuan International Airport MRT line are expected to be completed by the end of this year. We have instituted a luxury tax and require that all real estate transactions be logged using actual transaction prices, helping to achieve residential justice. We have also strived to provide more government benefits for young people who hope to have a home and children.
When I first came in today, I had a feeling that we have walked this road of reform together over the past seven years. Each day over these seven years I have never forgotten the responsibilities that I have to the people, nor have I forgotten the expectations of each of you. This road has been a tough one and we have encountered many challenges and setbacks.
The financial tsunami and the flooding caused by Typhoon Morakot in 2009
I'm sure that everyone still remembers the financial tsunami that was sweeping through the world when I first took office seven years ago. The state of the global economy was extremely precarious, and Taiwan was seriously affected, so the ROC government immediately instituted crisis management. Our Central Bank cut interest rates seven times, and the government also immediately initiated the so-called "three supports" policy whereby the government supported banks, the banks in turn supported enterprises by providing financing, and enterprises supported workers by keeping them on the payroll. We also quickly instituted a blanket guarantee for all bank deposits. Consequently, we didn't experience any runs on banks here, and not even one bank went bankrupt.
Meanwhile, the most welcome policy was the distribution of consumption vouchers in January 2009. The government issued NT$3,600 in vouchers to each person, making Taiwan the only country in the world to do so at that time. And in a short period, it was able to revive faith among consumers and manufacturers so that everyone could have better Lunar New Year holidays. The financial tsunami did not defeat us. A four-year package of projects to boost domestic consumption to the tune of NT$500 billion helped our economy rebound rapidly. In 2010, Taiwan recorded an economic growth rate of 10.63%, which was the highest in 24 years, and was also the fourth-highest in the world that year.
We encountered new challenges following the financial tsunami. On August 8, 2009, portions of Taiwan were devastated by Typhoon Morakot. I was terribly upset by what happened, and felt a deep responsibility. The government immediately carried out rescue and reconstruction work. We completed several measures in the shortest time possible, such as the dispatch of military personnel, the establishment of the Executive Yuan's Morakot Post-Disaster Reconstruction Council, the reallocation of government budget for urgent relief, as well as the promulgation and enforcement of the Special Act Governing Reconstruction after Typhoon Morakot. Six months after the disaster, 600 households had already moved into permanent structures in the Tzu Chi Great Love Village, which was another record.
Most important was that after Typhoon Morakot the government carried out a comprehensive review of its disaster prevention and rescue strategies. Whenever predictions say a typhoon will affect Taiwan, the government must hope for the best, but prepare for the worst, as well as prepare for disasters in advance, deploy troops with an eye to disaster preparedness, and ensure readiness for rescue operations. Through these actions we aim to emphasize disaster preparedness over disaster relief, and evacuation over other preparedness measures. We established a set of standard operating procedures, patiently explained those policies to the public, and insisted upon drills in order to defend the public and our homes so as to avoid the recurrence of tragedy.
We have been through thick and thin over the past seven years, and have had both success and setbacks. However, each time we get back up after a setback, I have even greater confidence and even greater faith in the path of our policies. I also have confidence in the kindheartedness and bravery of the people of Taiwan. I want to specially thank the public, as your persistent efforts over the past seven years have enabled the ROC to have the prosperity and stability it enjoys today.
Industry-Academia-Training Center Co-op Program
The true foundation of economic prosperity is the effort shown by Taiwan citizens in their respective jobs. On April 27, 2013, I visited WELE Mechatronic Co. Ltd., a company in Taichung City that develops and manufactures machine tools. This is where I met Zhang Jiawei (張家維), a student at National Chin-Yi University of Technology. When we met, he was a university senior, but had already been working for about five years. He was the leader of the company's first standard production line, and was earning a monthly salary of NT$35,000. He told me that he joined the Industry-Academia-Training Center Co-op Program promoted by the Council of Labor Affairs—now the Ministry of Labor—when he was in his third year at the Affiliated Industrial Vocational High School of National Changhua University of Education. Under that program, he both worked at WELE Mechatronic and studied at school, which allowed him to learn and gain experience at the same time, and also put into practice what he learned. He was thus able to enter the workplace and develop his skills earlier than previously possible. In the course of his work he discovered that what he had learned in school was inadequate, so he not only tried his best to get access to new types of machinery, but also signed up for the admissions test for graduate school with the hope of learning a little more.
After I met Jiawei, I became determined that the government, in addition to promoting its "three industries, four reformations" plan [pushing for incorporation of a service element by manufacturing firms, incorporation of advanced technology and an international reach by service firms, and achievement of greater distinctiveness by firms in traditional sectors]and working to create "hidden champions," had to make sure that the results of its industrial policies are felt by all of the Zhang Jiaweis around Taiwan. Jiawei participated in the Youth Talent Cultivation Initiative program, a policy I started promoting in 2009 that has helped to train over 260,000 individuals to date. Over 80% of the young people who have participated in that program have found jobs.
I asked Jiawei when I met him whether he was too busy, having to juggle his work, training, and studies. He replied that he wasn't too busy and that his life now is very enriching. He is an extremely mature young man with a good deal of confidence. Today I would like to ask Jiawei another question. You are nearing graduation from graduate school and you have almost completed all of the credits you need to graduate. You also have stable work. So, what about your love life? Are you making any headway on that front? After you start a business and want to get married and have children, the government also has a policy to enable young people to have access to affordable housing. It also has nursery and child care policies. Please make use of those programs.
Parental leave allowance
You all might think that I'm joking, but you might want to ask Ms. Huang Yuxuan (黃鈺琄), who is also sitting with us here today. She has two sons and one daughter. She is currently on parental leave and receiving allowances from the government. She's certainly someone who has experienced how these programs work.
I went to the Wanhua District in Taipei City to visit with Ms. Huang during Mother's Day this year, where I had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon with the rest of her family and children. Ms. Huang is a nurse and a very happy mother. But she was very frank in telling me that while the arrival of a new child is something that makes families very happy, it also presents a tough situation for women who have children, as many have to choose between work and family.
She said that she took note of the parental leave policy when it was introduced, but originally did not intend to apply. It was only after she had her first child that the reality of the situation became apparent. It was difficult to find a balance between work and taking care of her child. She might have had to quit work to take care of her child if she didn't have access to this parental leave allowance, thus facing the prospect of having no income. With the allowance, however, she has had the time to take care of her three children, and over an 18 month period can receive 60% of her salary insured under the Labor Insurance program. Women now feel more relieved because the government will stand behind them when they decide to have children.
When we introduced the parental leave allowance program in 2009, we hoped that it would set the minds of young parents at rest, so they wouldn't have to worry about their decision. Up to now, the government has distributed over NT$27.8 billion under this program and 310,000 people have benefitted from it. Even the World Bank said that this policy of Taiwan's offers the best protection for women. At the end of last year we amended the Act of Gender Equality in Employment to provide even more benefits, such as paternity leave, pregnancy check-up leave, and an expanded scope for parental leave.
So what happens then when an infant grows into a tot? Over the past seven years, over 270,000 families with children of that age have received childcare expense subsidies to the tune of NT$4.8 billion. Since 2011, we have also provided free education for all five-year-old children, ensuring that all pre-schoolers are able to receive education, while children from economically underprivileged households receive even larger allowances.
Quite a few people ask how young people who can't afford to buy homes would even consider having children. In fact, over 190,000 children have been born here annually in six out of the past seven years, and last year the number of newborns exceeded 210,000. This is something that I am delighted to see. The government also introduced a plan to promote home ownership among young people and preferential loans to buy homes, which has reduced the burden on 260,000 households. In addition, we have raised the basic wage five times and hope that the level of salaries throughout Taiwan will rise in the wake of the government having taken the lead. These are all things that governments in the past were unable to accomplish.
A small agricultural revolution
I also see in the audience here Mr. Xu Zhizhu (許枝主), an asparagus farmer from Xinyuan Township in Southern Taiwan's Pingtung County. During a home stay I made in Pingtung in September 2007, I stayed in the home of a duck farmer Mr. Ou Fangrong (歐芳榮). In the morning after collecting duck eggs, I then went jogging along the embankment of the Gaoping River where I saw Mr. Xu and his cattle plowing the land. I even helped the Xu family pick names for two of his cattle. Zhizhu, my friend, how are Xu Dazhi (許大枝) and Xu Xiaozhi (許小枝) doing? At the time, with the permission and guidance of my friend Mr. Xu, I led Xu Dazhi, an old cow, in plowing the field for 10 minutes. After finishing the plowing, the cow let out a few "moos." I was a bit uneasy, so I asked Mr. Xu what was up with her, to which he responded, quite humorously, that she was happy.
Mr. Xu was already over 60 years old when I met him, but he still led the cows through the asparagus fields himself. He is not unlike countless other farmers throughout Taiwan. Many of the nation's farmers are a bit older, and work small plots of land. Before meeting Mr. Xu, I gave considerable thought as to how we should reform the agricultural sector so that farms could become larger, and young people would come back to farming villages. At the time, I discussed with Mr. Xu how we intended to promote the Small Landlords and Big Tenants policy to encourage aging farmers to lease their land to young people who would be tenant farmers. The elderly farmers could receive rent that would enable them to retire, while at the same time we would be able to inject new vitality into the farming sector. Mr. Xu had only one question after I finished explaining the program. "And will I then lose my land?" he asked. I replied, "Of course not. The land rights that farmers hold will not be impacted at all." He pondered things for a moment and then nodded and said, "Then let's do it." Hearing this set my mind at ease and I became determined to promote that policy.
Seven years on, the Small Landlords and Big Tenants program has yielded impressive results. Over 30,000 aging small landowners have rented their land to over 1,600 young tenant farmers who work larger plots. Each person operates an area that is on average eight times the size of the farming household here, which is significantly raising operational efficiency. The large tenant farmers are on average 45 years old, which is 17 years younger than the average farmer in Taiwan. In addition, thanks to the promotion of this policy the amount of fallow land in Taiwan last year declined by over half in comparison to 2007 before I took office. And in conjunction with our rural village rejuvenation policy, I am confident that agricultural reform carried out over the past seven years has already been a success in injecting new life into Taiwan's farming industry.
Cross-strait relations
We have not only enticed young people back to farming villages, but have also attracted Taiwanese businesses overseas back to Taiwan. In January this year I made a visit to Alex Global Technology in Southern Taiwan's Tainan City where I met the company's General Manager Sally Hsieh (謝昀芷). This company is the world's largest manufacturer of aluminum alloy rims for bicycles. With a market share of between 50% and 60%, it is a world leader.
General Manager Hsieh explained to me the rapid development of the bicycle market in mainland China. Her company originally intended to build a factory in Shandong Province in the mainland, but with the signing of the Cross-Straits Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) between Taiwan and mainland China in 2010, tariffs on their products imported by the mainland dropped from 12% to zero. Consequently, Alex decided not to construct a plant in the mainland and instead expand its investment in Taiwan. The company anticipates that it will have 50% more local workers this year than it did in 2010, meaning that they created jobs here. Let's give Alex a round of applause.
In fact, Alex is not the only such company and the bicycle industry not the only sector to benefit. All of the industries on the ECFA early harvest list saw their exports to mainland China last year grow an aggregate 36% in comparison with 2010, with nearly 50% of the monetary value contributed by small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). And the exports of some industries dominated by SMEs saw six-fold growth! This proves that our efforts to promote cross-strait interaction in economics and trade have not only increased trade volume, but has also fostered significant growth among SMEs. Following the signing of the ECFA, we entered into trade and investment agreements with Japan, New Zealand, and Singapore. While the total value of our exports to the mainland has increased, the ratio of these exports to total exports has declined, which indicates that we have not become overly reliant on the mainland Chinese market. This is in fact the result of diversifying markets and investment.
Previous Democratic Progressive Party government was unable to achieve these things. How were we able to do it? The answer is simple: Over the past seven years my administration has consistently sought, under the framework of the ROC Constitution, to maintain the status quo of "no unification, no independence, and no use of force" in the Taiwan Strait and, in the spirit of pragmatism, to promote the peaceful development of cross-strait ties under the "1992 Consensus," whereby each side acknowledges the existence of "one China" but maintains its own interpretation of what that means. The two sides have already signed 21 agreements and reached consensus on two issues. The number of mainland students coming to study in Taiwan has increased from 823 before I took office to over 32,000 now, a 40-fold increase. Interaction between the two sides is not limited to economics and trade, but also includes education, cultural, and social exchanges. This is solidifying the foundation for sustainable peace between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.
Protecting fishermen and international relations
In the audience today we also see Chen Sichuan (陳泗川), former captain of the Keelung Offshore Flotilla under the Executive Yuan's Coast Guard Administration, who was a warrior in patrolling waters around the Diaoyutai Islets to ensure our fishing rights there. In July 2012, Mr. Chen's father passed away the day following his return to Taiwan after another action to protect the nation's fishing rights around the Diaoyutais. I was deeply sorry to hear that news and I called him to extend my condolences. Even to this day my heart is heavy when I think about this situation. Mr. Chen is a selfless servant of the people who worked to defend the ROC's sovereignty. His actions are truly admirable. Let's all give Mr. Chen a round of applause.
On September 24, 2012, the Suao Fishermen's Association launched a protest voyage to stand up for fishermen's rights. A flotilla of 58 fishing boats carrying 292 fishermen sailed peacefully around the Diaoyutais under the protection of 12 Coast Guard vessels. After that activity, former Captain Chen told me that the sea at that time was filled with official Japanese vessels of all types, many of which he hadn't seen in the past.
At the time, the Japanese Coast Guard had mobilized 34 patrol vessels that sprayed the ROC fishing boats with water cannons. The ROC's Coast Guard vessels immediately retaliated with water cannons, absolutely refusing to allow the fishermen who were in the ROC's territorial waters to be harmed. Ultimately, the fishing boats from Taiwan asserted their claim at a distance of 2.1 nautical miles off the Diaoyutais and then safely returned to Taiwan. The international media reported extensively on the incident the following day, so the world community saw the ROC defending its sovereignty, and our determination to protect our fishing rights.
Although we are not afraid of conflict, we value peace with neighboring countries even more. On April 10, 2013, the ROC, on the basis of the East China Sea Peace Initiative that maintains that "although sovereignty over national territory cannot be compromised, natural resources can be shared," signed a fisheries agreement with Japan, which resolved a 40-year fishing dispute. The brave actions of Captain Chen and other members of the Coast Guard made a historic contribution to protecting the nation's fishing rights.
I just spoke about the East China Sea, but now I want to cite an example in the South China Sea. Everyone undoubtedly remembers the Guang Da Xing No. 28 fishing boat incident that took place on May 9, 2013, in which the coast guard personnel on a Philippine government vessel illegally fired on a Taiwanese fishing boat, killing an ROC fisherman. From the start, the government demanded that the Philippine government offer a formal apology, provide compensation for the losses, severely punish those responsible for the killing, and initiate negotiations on a bilateral fisheries agreement. The ROC subsequently adopted 11 economic sanctions against the Philippines, using all of the nation's power to seek justice for the deceased fisherman. The Philippines responded in a positive manner to all of the ROC's demands. We also extended the concepts in the East China Sea Peace Initiative to the South China Sea, and are now engaged in fishing negotiations with the Philippines. Presently, the two sides have reached a consensus on the signing of a maritime law enforcement cooperation agreement. Another clear example involves the Sheng Feng No. 12, a Pingtung-registered fishing boat that was detained by the Philippines on May 7 this year. The boat was released in just one week, and this is a concrete result of the cooperative mechanism established by the two countries.
Did this type of result come out of the blue? Of course not. It is the result of our strenuous efforts. That's clear if you compare the progress we've seen over the past years with what took place previously. In 2006 before I took office, a Taitung-registered fishing boat, Man Chun Yi, was fired on by Philippine marine police, and the captain of the fishing vessel, Mr. Chen, died. The government at that time was powerless to investigate the situation, and to this day the killer of Mr. Chen has still not been punished.
Over the past few years we have actively protected our sovereignty and fought for our dignity in the international community. Last year marked the sixth consecutive year the ROC attended the World Health Assembly (WHA) in a formal capacity, with the invitation addressed to our ministerial-level official, using their official title. Minister of Health and Welfare Chiang Been-huang (蔣丙煌) is currently attending this year's WHA session in Geneva. Meanwhile, the number of countries and territories that grant ROC nationals visa-free courtesies, landing visas or other similar visa conveniences stood at 54 in 2000, and still stood at 54 in 2008. Since I took office, however, the number has increased by 88, and now stands at 142, covering 98% of the destinations most frequently visited by ROC nationals. This is a first in the ROC's history. When a nation is respected, its people will have dignity. This is the true significance of sovereignty and the real meaning of defending sovereignty!
Prospects and conclusion
Of course, there are many more stories from the past seven years that are worth mentioning. They shed light on the growth and changes in Taiwan over the past seven years, and are the result of the efforts of all the people of Taiwan. Everyone can see the results with their own eyes. My goal has always been a "prosperous Taiwan, peaceful Taiwan Strait, and friendly international relations." I have worked to lay a strong foundation for Taiwan and to cultivate its strengths. Over the past seven years, the government and people have worked together and we have established the direction of development for the ROC, and this course should continue to be followed regardless who the future leader of Taiwan is.
In particular, the achievements over the past seven years in promoting peace between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have been hard-won. We must cherish them and work to maintain them. We will certainly promote the Cross-Strait Agreement Supervisory Act, as well as push for review and passage by the Legislative Yuan of several agreements already signed between the two sides. This will enable cross-strait relations to continue to progress along the path of peace and prosperity.
We also want to continue to care for the underprivileged. We will provide tax incentives to landlords who rent homes to the underprivileged. We will provide childcare allowances to the unemployed, and we anticipate that next year 170,000 households that have young children will benefit from these monthly allowances. The government will also provide subsidies for the medical expenses of children under the age of three, and we expect that subsidies will be provided for over 12 million doctors' visits by children.
Five days ago amendments were passed to the Labor Standards Act to cap the number of working hours each week at 40. That measure aims to protect the interests of laborers and will benefit 3.4 million workers. Meanwhile, the Long-term Care Services Act has been passed, and in the future 760,000 households and two million people will benefit. We will continue to promote the legislation of the Long-term Care Insurance Act that will care for the elderly and our own future. We will also work to promote a consolidated housing and land tax system aimed at combatting short-term speculation and thus achieve "residential justice." As I enter the final year of my term, we will not let up, nor will we fear challenges.
Furthermore, I would like to specially remind everyone that Taiwan's economic performance last year was quite good, that Taiwan returned to having the highest growth rate of the four Asian tigers for the first time in 16 years, and that the same was true in the first quarter of this year. Nonetheless, dangers to the world economy are all around. We must make appropriate preparations and be ready to respond to possible challenges at any time. In the coming year, the government will continue to promote a wide range of policies to promote industrial transformation and encourage youth entrepreneurship. We will also strive to participate in international economic integration and negotiations associated with the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
I am deeply grateful for everyone's support over the years, but I have also heard the voices of criticism and opposition. I realize that some of the policies we have promoted during my presidency have not been to the satisfaction of some people, and even to some of my supporters. I am deeply sorry for that, and each time when deciding on a policy I often struggle with these issues. However, as the nation's leader, I must be responsible to the people, to the next generation, and to the sustainable development of Taiwan. I must make correct decisions. Some of these decisions were quite difficult, but I do not regret them.
For instance, in 2012 we promoted a policy to institutionalize the mechanism for the pricing of gasoline and electricity, and there was strong criticism and opposition to our proposal. At that time, I said that the decisions associated with that policy were extremely tough and painful, and I knew it would not be popular. In my heart, however, I was clear that the institutionalization of energy prices, using established formulas, would make pricing more market-oriented, which was the path we needed to take. After we completed the formula for gasoline prices, we recently finally finished the electricity pricing mechanism, which will see average electricity prices drop by over 7%. We have established a long-term system for energy pricing, and in the future it will no longer be possible to manipulate oil and electricity prices for political purposes. This is just one example, but I hope it reflects the path of reform and diligence that I have pursued to benefit Taiwan and its citizens. I take full responsibility for any upheaval caused by the process of reform. But I also have faith that these decisions will stand the tests of time and history.
I will always remember that in two presidential elections, the people of Taiwan did not seek to give me personal honor, but rather entrusted me to lead them into the future. As long as the efforts we have made are creating a happier Taiwan and giving our children and our children's children a better future, I am willing to bear all of this criticism and censure. This way, the next government can continue to steadily move forward with the entire public based on these reforms.
I still have one year left in my term, and there are still many things to do. I hope that the coming year will be one of reconciliation and unity. Reconciliation will allow us to communicate, while unity will allow us to work hand in hand. In the coming year, and even thereafter, I will continue my efforts, promote reforms, and maintain momentum. I also hope that the public will forge a consensus and work together in the interests of the next generation to create a Taiwan that commands even greater respect, a Taiwan that influences and inspires.
Others attending the event included Vice President Wu Den-yih, Premier Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國), Secretary-General to the President Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權), Minister of National Defense Kao Kuang-chi (高廣圻), Minister of Economic Affairs John C. C. Deng (鄧振中), Minister of Labor Chen Hsiung-wen (陳雄文), Minister of Agriculture Chen Bao-ji (陳保基), and Coast Guard Administration Minister Wang Chung-yi (王崇儀).