Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

President Tsai Ing-wen met on the afternoon of August 25 with Professor Muhammad Yunus, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. In addition to applauding Professor Yunus for his efforts to eradicate poverty, the president also expressed hope that the professor's charitable spirit can have a positive impact on Taiwanese society.

In remarks, President Tsai first praised Professor Yunus for the many years he has spent pursuing the ideal of a poverty-free world, noting that the Grameen Bank, which he founded, has dispensed with traditional thinking and practices in the banking business. By providing microcredit to the poor in Bangladesh, he has successfully helped borrowers escape poverty and inspired many to engage in similar undertakings.

The president also mentioned that Taiwan is a democratic country where the people enjoy the freedom to put all sort of new ideas into practice, and its open society provides an environment in which new ideas can be acted upon. President Tsai also voiced hope that the people of Taiwan can fully demonstrate this innovative spirit by building a different kind of society.