Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

On the morning of February 17, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by former United States Deputy National Security Advisor Matthew Pottinger. In remarks, President Lai thanked the delegation for demonstrating staunch support for Taiwan through their visit. The president pointed out that increased cooperation between authoritarian regimes is posing risks and challenges to the geopolitical landscape and regional security. He emphasized that only by bolstering our defense capabilities can we demonstrate effective deterrence and maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and around the world. The president stated that moving forward, Taiwan will continue to enhance its self-defense capabilities. He also expressed hope of strengthening the Taiwan-US partnership and jointly building secure and resilient non-red supply chains so as to ensure that Taiwan, the US, and democratic partners around the world maintain a technological lead. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I am delighted to welcome our good friends Mr. Pottinger and retired US Rear Admiral Mr. Mark Montgomery to Taiwan once again. Last June, Mr. Pottinger and Mr. Ivan Kanapathy came to Taiwan to launch their new book The Boiling Moat. During that visit, they also visited the Presidential Office. We held an extensive exchange of views on Taiwan-US relations and regional affairs right here in the Taiwan Heritage Room. Now, as we meet again eight months later, I am pleased to learn that Mr. Kanapathy is now serving on the White House National Security Council. The Mandarin translation of The Boiling Moat is also due to be released in Taiwan very soon. This book offers insightful observations from US experts regarding US-China-Taiwan relations and valuable advice for the strengthening of Taiwan’s national defense, security, and overall resilience. I am sure that Taiwanese readers will benefit greatly from it. I understand that this is Mr. Montgomery’s fourth visit to Taiwan and that he has long paid close attention to Taiwan-related issues. I look forward to an in-depth discussion with our two friends on the future direction of Taiwan-US relations and cooperation. Increased cooperation between authoritarian regimes is posing risks and challenges to the geopolitical landscape and regional security. One notion we all share is peace through strength. That is, only by bolstering our defense capabilities and fortifying our defenses can we demonstrate effective deterrence and maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and around the world. Moving forward, Taiwan will continue to enhance its self-defense capabilities. We also hope to strengthen the Taiwan-US partnership in such fields as security, trade and the economy, and energy. In addition, we will advance cooperation in critical and innovative technologies and jointly build secure and resilient non-red supply chains. This will ensure that Taiwan, the US, and democratic partners around the world maintain a technological lead. We believe that closer Taiwan-US exchanges and cooperation not only benefit national security and development but also align with the common economic interests of Taiwan and the US. I want to thank Mr. Pottinger and Mr. Montgomery once again for visiting and for continuing to advance Taiwan-US exchanges, demonstrating staunch support for Taiwan. Let us continue to work together to deepen Taiwan-US relations. I wish you a smooth and fruitful visit.  Mr. Pottinger then delivered remarks, first congratulating President Lai on his one-year election anniversary and on the state of the economy, which, he added, is doing quite well. Mentioning President Lai’s recent statement pledging to increase Taiwan’s defense budget to above 3 percent of GDP, Mr. Pottinger said he thinks that the benchmark is equal to what the US spends on its defense and that it is a good starting point for both countries to build deterrence. Echoing the president’s earlier remarks, Mr. Pottinger said that peace through strength is the right path for the US and for Taiwan right now at a moment when autocratic, aggressive governments are on the march. He then paraphrased the words of former US President George Washington in his first inaugural address, saying that the best way to keep the peace is to be prepared at all times for war, which captures the meaning of peace through strength. In closing, he said he looks forward to exchanging views with President Lai.

On the afternoon of December 26, President Lai Ching-te presided over the second meeting of the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee. President Lai stated that the committee’s goal is to enhance overall resilience in terms of national defense, economic livelihoods, disaster prevention, and democracy through five key areas: civilian force training and utilization, strategic material preparation and critical supply distribution, energy and critical infrastructure operations and maintenance, social welfare, medical care, and evacuation facility readiness, and information, transportation, and financial network protection. That morning, he said, was the first time that central and local government officials, as well as civilian observers, gathered at the Presidential Office to conduct cross-disciplinary tabletop exercises, demonstrating cooperation between central and local governments to jointly enhance social resilience. President Lai also announced that the existing Wan An and Min An Exercises, which are air raid drills and disaster response drills, respectively, beginning from next year will be combined into the 2025 Urban Resilience Exercises, the nomenclature of which matches up with that of similar exercises carried out overseas. The exercises, he said, will strengthen the defensive mechanisms of the non-military sector, and verify the ability of civil defense and disaster preparedness systems to protect our nation’s people. The president emphasized that combining government and private-sector forces is the only way to strengthen Taiwan’s overall defense capabilities, jointly consolidate global democratic resilience, and maintain regional peace and stability. A translation of President Lai’s opening statement follows: Today, we are convening the second meeting of the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee, implementing the conclusions reached at the last meeting, conducting tabletop exercises, and verifying the preparedness of government agencies to address extreme situations. Looking back over the past year, circumstances at home and abroad have changed rapidly. Authoritarian states around the world continue to converge, threatening the rules-based international order, and they now present a collective challenge to the peace and stability of the entire first island chain. To address threats, whether natural disasters or ambitions for authoritarian expansion, we believe that as long as the government and all of society are prepared, we can respond. With determination, there is no need to worry. With confidence, our people can rest assured. This is the goal of whole-of-society defense resilience. Of course, these preparations are not easy. Taiwan’s society must race against time, and work together to build capabilities to respond to major disasters and threats, and deter enemy encroachment. Therefore, the goal of this committee is to formulate action plans through the five key areas: civilian force training and utilization, strategic material preparation and critical supply distribution, energy and critical infrastructure operations and maintenance, social welfare, medical care, and evacuation facility readiness, and information, transportation, and financial network protection, thereby verifying central and local government capacities to respond in times of disaster, and enhance overall resilience in terms of national defense, economic livelihoods, disaster prevention, and democracy. This morning at the Presidential Office, we conducted the first-ever cross-disciplinary tabletop exercises involving central and local government officials as well as civilian observers. Participating teams from central government departments were all led by deputy ministers, Tainan City Deputy Mayor Yeh Tse-shan (葉澤山) led a team, and Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) also came to participate, demonstrating cooperation between central and local governments to jointly enhance social resilience. The exercises were based on Taiwan’s mature disaster prevention and relief system’s response to comprehensive threats. We had scenarios, but no scripts, so the participating units did not prepare notes in advance, but reacted on the spot. When presented with a problem, they proposed countermeasures, which is closer to a real crisis situation. To address the continued threat of authoritarian expansion to regional stability and order, in the first scenario we simulated that a high-intensity gray-zone operation occurred; for the second scenario, we simulated a state of being on the verge of conflict. The most important core objectives of the exercises were to ensure that people could carry on their daily lives and that society could function normally. I would like to thank our three deputy conveners for serving as exercise commanders, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) and Minister without Portfolio of the Executive Yuan Chi Lien-cheng (季連成) for serving as deputy exercise commanders, and Deputy Secretary-General to the President Chang Tun-han (張惇涵) as well as National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) for serving as chief officials. I also want to thank all our advisors, committee members, and colleagues from government agencies at both the central and local levels for coming together to complete tabletop exercises aimed at testing out components of the five key areas. After conducting numerous exercises in the past, many government agencies improved their emergency response capabilities, and I want to recognize those achievements. However, I also want to emphasize that we must identify problems in our current systems, and then make improvements. Whether it be the central or the local level, we cannot just talk about the good things and sweep the unpleasant things under the rug. We have to rigorously ascertain numbers and make sure just how accurate the sources of our information are, because it is always a good thing when we discover problems in our exercises, and find places where improvements are needed. This means that our testing has achieved its purpose, and that there is much room for progress and improvement. I also want to report to you all that, over the past few years, due to the global pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, countries throughout the world have been bolstering their defense resilience. NATO and the European Union, for example, have both adopted guidelines aimed at strengthening whole-of-society resilience. This shows that Taiwan is not a special case. The task of whole-of-society defense resilience is being addressed throughout the world. Taiwan’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its whole-of-society defense resilience is something the international community at large is wanting to see. This month I visited the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and the Republic of Palau, all of which are Pacific allies of Taiwan, and I made transit stops in the United States islands of Hawaii and Guam. Friends in each of these places expressed firm support for Taiwan and repeatedly said they hope for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. We must continue taking action to respond to the international community’s support. Taiwan must have the capability to defend its own security. As president, I want to take this opportunity to emphasize to the international community that Taiwan is determined to defend regional peace and stability. We will accelerate the pace of efforts to build a more resilient Taiwan. I therefore wish to announce that our existing Wan An and Min An Exercises, which are air raid drills and disaster response drills, respectively, beginning from next year will be combined, and we will hold the 2025 Urban Resilience Exercises. This new nomenclature matches up with that of similar exercises carried out overseas, making it easier for others to understand the efforts that Taiwan is putting forth. In addition, the 2025 Urban Resilience Exercises will feature absolutely no reliance on military support, and will have a design that takes the latest international experiences into account. These resilience exercises will be distinct from the Han Kuang military exercises, and yet complementary at the same time. In other words, whole-of-society defense resilience must particularly strengthen the defensive mechanisms of the non-military sector, and must verify the ability of civil defense and disaster preparedness systems to protect our nation’s people. I want to emphasize once again that the more resilient we make Taiwan, like-minded nations around the world will be more willing to coordinate with us in responding to various challenges together. I realize that to defend democracy, we must gather together every bit of strength we have. The task of promoting whole-of-society defense resilience is a massive undertaking. The public sector must adopt a more open-minded attitude and be willing to tap into private-sector human resources, because combining government and private-sector forces is the only way to jointly respond to challenges arising under extreme conditions, and is the only way to strengthen Taiwan’s overall defense capabilities, jointly consolidate global democratic resilience, and maintain regional peace and stability. In just a few moments, Minister Liu will deliver a report on the progress of certain items listed in the first committee meeting, and Deputy Secretary-General Lin will deliver a report on the outcomes of the tabletop exercises held this morning. Next, let us engage in open discussions and examine and verify each component of the tabletop exercises, so that together we can improve whole-of-society defense resilience, make Taiwan more secure, and make the region more stable. Thank you. After listening to the report on the progress of certain items listed in the first committee meeting and the report on the outcomes of the tabletop exercises, President Lai exchanged views with the committee members regarding the content of the reports.123

On November 29 (US EST), the United States government announced that it had notified Congress of the sale to Taiwan of two military packages: a US$320 million sale of spare parts and support for F-16 aircraft and Active Electronically Scanned Array radar spare parts and support; and a US$65 million sale of Improved Mobile Subscriber Equipment Follow-on Support and related equipment. Presidential Office Spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) stated that the Presidential Office is sincerely grateful to the US government for its unwavering commitment to continue to strengthen the cooperative partnership between Taiwan and the US and support Taiwan in enhancing self-defense capabilities in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances.  Spokesperson Kuo stated that this marks the 18th military sale to Taiwan announced during the Biden administration since 2021, emphasizing that the deepening Taiwan-US security partnership is a critical cornerstone for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. The spokesperson said that in the face of mounting security challenges in the region, Taiwan will continue to enhance self-defense capabilities and work alongside like-minded countries to jointly defend the values of freedom and democracy and ensure the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region.

On October 25 (US EST), the United States government announced that it had notified Congress of the US$1.988 billion sale to Taiwan of three military packages, including the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System as well as L-band and non-L-band radar turnkey systems. Presidential Office Spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) on October 26 stated that strengthening Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities is the foundation for maintaining regional stability. The spokesperson said that the Presidential Office is grateful to the US government for continuing to provide Taiwan with the weaponry it needs in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances. Spokesperson Kuo stated that this marks the 17th military sale to Taiwan announced during the Biden administration since 2021, as well as the largest single military sale since President Biden took office, demonstrating the unwavering commitment of the US government to the security of Taiwan. She emphasized that Taiwan will continue to strengthen its self-defense capabilities as it works to maintain the rules-based international order, ensuring the peace, stability, and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region.

On the afternoon of September 26, President Lai Ching-te presided over the first meeting of the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee. As the committee’s convener, the president presented committee members with their letters of appointment, and explained that in order to build up our whole-of-society defense resilience, we will actively engage in comprehensive preparation to make our nation stronger and our people more confident. The president stated that we will enhance Taiwan’s response capabilities and expand cooperation between the public and private sectors. He stated that he looks forward to working together with everyone to establish a platform through which we can communicate and coordinate on our national resilience strategy, fostering a national consensus, and strengthening resilience throughout Taiwan in national defense, economic livelihoods, disaster prevention, and democracy. President Lai stated that a more resilient Taiwan will contribute more to global democracy, peace, and prosperity. He emphasized that as our society becomes better prepared, our nation grows more secure; and as Taiwan shows more determination to defend itself, the international community will feel more at ease. He expressed hope that we will engage in wide-ranging discussions and build a fortress of unity, making Taiwan a cornerstone for ensuring regional stability and democratic sustainability. A translation of President Lai’s opening statement follows: In order to consolidate forces from various sectors to strategize on national development, at the end of my first month in office, I announced that the Presidential Office will establish three committees in response to three major global issues: climate change, health promotion, and social resilience. Last month we convened the first meetings for two of those committees – the National Climate Change Committee and the Healthy Taiwan Promotion Committee. Today, we are convening the first meeting for the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee. I want to thank our three deputy conveners and all advisors and committee members for their joint commitment. I also want to thank our fellow citizens and friends for following the committee’s proceedings online. Climate change, large-scale natural disasters, and the threat to democracy posed by expanding authoritarianism are all challenges not just for Taiwan, but for the entire world. The operations and goals of these three committees are interrelated, and they are closely connected by the issue of national resilience. We intend to build up a more resilient Taiwan, proactively deal with challenges, and bring Taiwan into deeper cooperation with the international community. When former President Tsai Ing-wen was in office, the government took stock of resources in the public and private sectors in order to lay a solid foundation on which to build up our social resilience. Now, we will continue forward, from stocktaking to validation. This will entail three principles for whole-of-society defense resilience. The first principle is “preparedness through vigilance.” We will actively engage in comprehensive preparation to make our nation stronger and our people more confident. That way, in a disaster or emergency, the government and the public can quickly leverage their respective strengths and maintain the normal operation of society. The second principle is “enhanced response, fearlessness in action.” We will expand the training and utilization of civilian forces, enhance our strategic material preparation and critical supply distribution, and reinforce the operations and maintenance of energy and critical infrastructure. We will also improve the readiness of our social welfare, medical care, and evacuation facilities, and ensure the protection of information, transportation, and financial networks. All of this will enhance Taiwan’s response capabilities. The third principle is “orderly execution, methodical action.” At all levels of government, from central to local, we will conduct extensive validation and drilling, and we will expand connections with civil society groups and societal forces so that we can all work together, in a systematic and professional manner, to identify problems, propose solutions, and follow through with implementation. This is how we will resolve problems. The work involved in whole-of-society defense resilience is diverse and complex. Accordingly, this committee needs members from the public and private sectors who can work together in coordination. The members must be guided by practical experience, have interdisciplinary expertise, span different generations, and constitute a balance between the genders. These were the factors we took into consideration when we invited representatives from industry, government agencies, academia, and research institutions to serve as the four advisors and 23 members who make up this committee. Of the total committee membership, 67.7 percent are not government officials, and 32.3 percent are women.  First, I want to thank the committee advisors who have taken on that important responsibility. With us today we have Master Jing Yao (淨耀) of the Buddhist Association of the Republic of China; Huoh Shoou-yeh (霍守業), chairman of the Institute for National Defense and Security Research; and Lin Ming-hsiung (林敏雄), chairman of Chuan Lian Enterprise Co. I thank each of you for your participation, and look forward to seeing you provide the committee with broadly considered, professional views on such matters as civilian force preparedness, strategic frameworks, and supply distribution. I also want to introduce committee members who are here today. We have with us Wang Pao-tzong (王寶宗), chairman of the Holy Glory Temple; Chen Hsin-liang (陳信良), general secretary of the General Assembly Executive Committee of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan; and Yen Po-wen (顏博文), CEO of the Tzu Chi Charity Foundation. I thank you all for your commitment and for giving us all the opportunity to learn how religious groups engage in disaster preparedness and relief efforts. Let me also thank James Liao (廖英熙), president of the National Defense Education Association; Enoch Wu (吳怡農), founder of the Forward Alliance; Hsiau Ya-wen (蕭雅文), honorary chairperson of the Taiwan Development Association for Disaster Medical Team; Liu Wen (劉文), chairperson of the Kuma Civil Defense Education Association; and Tseng Po-yu (曾柏瑜), consultant at Doublethink Lab. You have all been long involved in civil defense education, emergency medicine, and other fields, so I am quite confident that you will help the committee to better understand civilian force training and utilization. Let me also introduce Tu Wen-ling (杜文苓), distinguished professor in the Department of Public Administration at National Chengchi University, and Hsiao Hsu-chun (蕭旭君), associate professor of Computer Science and Information Engineering at National Taiwan University. I thank both of you for generously contributing your expertise to make Taiwan’s energy and critical infrastructure operations more robust. Also, I want to thank Wu Jong-shinn (吳宗信), director general of the Taiwan Space Agency; Kenny Huang (黃勝雄), chairman of the Taiwan Network Information Center; and Dai Chen-yu (戴辰宇), board member of the Association of Hackers in Taiwan. Your involvement will contribute immensely to the protection of information, transportation, and financial networks in Taiwan. Among our committee members we have the following six government representatives: Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄); Minister of Economic Affairs Kuo Jyh-huei (郭智輝), who could not attend today’s meeting; Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱); Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季); Minister of Health and Welfare Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源); and Minister of Ocean Affairs Council Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲). The committee has two executive secretaries, namely Chi Lien-cheng (季連成), minister without portfolio of the Executive Yuan, and Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳). In addition, one member who will be joining us shortly is Bob Hung (洪偉淦), general manager of Trend Micro Taiwan. I also want to introduce one advisor and three committee members who could not attend today. They are, respectively, Robert Tsao (曹興誠), founder of United Microelectronics Corporation; Kuo Chia-yo (郭家佑), president of the Taiwan Digital Diplomacy Association; Liu Yu-hsi (劉玉晳), associate professor in the Department of Communications Management at Shih-Hsin University; and Tina Lin (林雅芳), managing director of sales and operations at Google Taiwan. I also thank them for participating in this committee’s operations and for contributing their valuable advice at today’s proceedings in written form. Last Saturday marked the 25th anniversary of the major earthquake that struck Taiwan on September 21, 1999. For the past 25 years, we have worked continuously to improve Taiwan’s disaster preparedness and relief capabilities. Today, our purpose in building up whole-of-society defense resilience is to enable each and every individual to realize, when an emergency arises, where to best make a contribution and how to protect themselves, contribute to society, or deter an approaching enemy. We want to enable all our citizens to feel utterly confident in the continuity and future of Taiwan’s society. Today, in this first meeting of the committee, the National Security Council (NSC) will brief us on the topic of “Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience: Planning and Challenges.” The NSC will familiarize all of us here, as well as our citizens and friends watching online, with the concepts and operations involved in whole-of-society defense resilience, the associated challenges and goals, and the progress we have made toward achieving our tasks. I have said before that a sudden natural disaster is like an acute cold, while climate change is more like a chronic disease. What whole-of-society defense resilience addresses is both the chronic and the acute. In addition to national disasters and emergencies, Taiwan has also been dealing for a long time with the challenges of gray-zone aggression and cognitive warfare. Located in the first island chain, Taiwan stands on the frontline of the democratic world. As such, we have always endeavored to safeguard regional peace and stability. I firmly believe that a more resilient Taiwan will contribute more to global democracy, peace, and prosperity. I also believe that when Taiwan is properly prepared and shows determination, our like-minded partners from around the world will be more willing to help Taiwan, jointly respond to all kinds of challenges, and work in concert to mitigate risks. As the people of Taiwan become more united, our nation grows more stable. As our society becomes better prepared, our nation grows more secure. And as Taiwan shows more determination to defend itself, the international community will feel more at ease. And so, I want to thank all of you once again for taking on the major task of enhancing our whole-of-society defense resilience. I look forward to working together with everyone, as we continue to observe global conditions, to establish a platform through which we can communicate and coordinate on our national resilience strategy, thereby fostering a nationwide consensus and strengthening resilience throughout Taiwan in national defense, economic livelihoods, disaster prevention, and democracy. Moving forward, let us engage in wide-ranging discussions, build a fortress of unity, and further empower our whole-of-society defense resilience, making Taiwan a cornerstone for ensuring regional stability and democratic sustainability. Thank you. Following his statement, President Lai presented letters of appointment to the committee members and heard a report from NSC Deputy Secretary-General Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) on the topic of “Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience: Planning and Challenges.” Afterward, President Lai exchanged views with the committee members regarding the content of the report and the Rules of Procedure for Meetings of the Office of the President Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee.

On the afternoon of March 13, President Lai Ching-te convened a high-level national security meeting, following which he held a press conference. In remarks, President Lai introduced 17 major strategies to respond to five major national security and united front threats Taiwan now faces: China’s threat to national sovereignty, its threats from infiltration and espionage activities targeting Taiwan’s military, its threats aimed at obscuring the national identity of the people of Taiwan, its threats from united front infiltration into Taiwanese society through cross-strait exchanges, and its threats from using “integrated development” to attract Taiwanese businesspeople and youth. President Lai emphasized that in the face of increasingly severe threats, the government will not stop doing its utmost to ensure that our national sovereignty is not infringed upon, and expressed hope that all citizens unite in solidarity to resist being divided. The president also expressed hope that citizens work together to increase media literacy, organize and participate in civic education activities, promptly expose concerted united front efforts, and refuse to participate in any activities that sacrifice national interests. As long as every citizen plays their part toward our nation’s goals for prosperity and security, he said, and as long as we work together, nothing can defeat us. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: At many venues recently, a number of citizens have expressed similar concerns to me. They have noticed cases in which members of the military, both active-duty and retired, have been bought out by China, sold intelligence, or even organized armed forces with plans to harm their own nation and its citizens. They have noticed cases in which entertainers willingly followed instructions from Beijing to claim that their country is not a country, all for the sake of personal career interests. They have noticed how messaging used by Chinese state media to stir up internal opposition in Taiwan is always quickly spread by specific channels. There have even been individuals making careers out of helping Chinese state media record united front content, spreading a message that democracy is useless and promoting skepticism toward the United States and the military to sow division and opposition. Many people worry that our country, as well as our hard-won freedom and democracy and the prosperity and progress we achieved together, are being washed away bit by bit due to these united front tactics. In an analysis of China’s united front, renowned strategic scholar Kerry K. Gershaneck expressed that China plans to divide and conquer us through subversion, infiltration, and acquisition of media, and by launching media warfare, psychological warfare, and legal warfare. What they are trying to do is to sow seeds of discord in our society, keep us occupied with internal conflicts, and cause us to ignore the real threat from outside. China’s ambition over the past several decades to annex Taiwan and stamp out the Republic of China has not changed for even a day. It continues to pursue political and military intimidation, and its united front infiltration of Taiwan’s society grows ever more serious. In 2005, China promulgated its so-called “Anti-Secession Law,” which makes using military force to annex Taiwan a national undertaking. Last June, China issued a 22-point set of “guidelines for punishing Taiwan independence separatists,” which regards all those who do not accept that “Taiwan is part of the People’s Republic of China” as targets for punishment, creating excuses to harm the people of Taiwan. China has also recently been distorting United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, showing in all aspects China’s increasingly urgent threat against Taiwan’s sovereignty. Lately, China has been taking advantage of democratic Taiwan’s freedom, diversity, and openness to recruit gangs, the media, commentators, political parties, and even active-duty and retired members of the armed forces and police to carry out actions to divide, destroy, and subvert us from within. A report from the National Security Bureau indicates that 64 persons were charged last year with suspicion of spying for China, which was three times the number of persons charged for the same offense in 2021. Among them, the Unionist Party, Rehabilitation Alliance Party, and Republic of China Taiwan Military Government formed treasonous organizations to deploy armed forces for China. In a democratic and free society, such cases are appalling. But this is something that actually exists within Taiwan’s society today. China also actively plots ways to infiltrate and spy on our military. Last year, 28 active-duty and 15 retired members of the armed forces were charged with suspicion of involvement in spying for China, respectively comprising 43 percent and 23 percent of all of such cases – 66 percent in total. We are also alert to the fact that China has recently used widespread issuance of Chinese passports to entice Taiwanese citizens to apply for the Residence Permit for Taiwan Residents, permanent residency, or the Resident Identity Card, in an attempt to muddle Taiwanese people’s sense of national identity. China also views cross-strait exchanges as a channel for its united front against Taiwan, marking enemies in Taiwan internally, creating internal divisions, and weakening our sense of who the enemy really is. It intends to weaken public authority and create the illusion that China is “governing” Taiwan, thereby expanding its influence within Taiwan. We are also aware that China has continued to expand its strategy of integrated development with Taiwan. It employs various methods to demand and coerce Taiwanese businesses to increase their investments in China, entice Taiwanese youth to develop their careers in China, and unscrupulously seeks to poach Taiwan’s talent and steal key technologies. Such methods impact our economic security and greatly increase the risk of our young people heading to China. By its actions, China already satisfies the definition of a “foreign hostile force” as provided in the Anti-Infiltration Act. We have no choice but to take even more proactive measures, which is my purpose in convening this high-level national security meeting today. It is time we adopt proper preventive measures, enhance our democratic resilience and national security, and protect our cherished free and democratic way of life. Next, I will be giving a detailed account of the five major national security and united front threats Taiwan now faces and the 17 major strategies we have prepared in response. I. Responding to China’s threats to our national sovereignty We have a nation insofar as we have sovereignty, and we have the Republic of China insofar as we have Taiwan. Just as I said during my inaugural address last May, and in my National Day address last October: The moment when Taiwan’s first democratically elected president took the oath of office in 1996 sent a message to the international community, that Taiwan is a sovereign, independent, democratic nation. Among people here and in the international community, some call this land the Republic of China, some call it Taiwan, and some, the Republic of China Taiwan. The Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other, and Taiwan resists any annexation or encroachment upon our sovereignty. The future of the Republic of China Taiwan must be decided by its 23 million people. This is the status quo that we must maintain. The broadest consensus in Taiwanese society is that we must defend our sovereignty, uphold our free and democratic way of life, and resolutely oppose annexation of Taiwan by China. (1) I request that the National Security Council (NSC), the Ministry of National Defense (MND), and the administrative team do their utmost to promote the Four Pillars of Peace action plan to demonstrate the people’s broad consensus and firm resolve, consistent across the entirety of our nation, to oppose annexation of Taiwan by China. (2) I request that the NSC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs draft an action plan that will, through collaboration with our friends and allies, convey to the world our national will and broad social consensus in opposing annexation of Taiwan by China and in countering China’s efforts to erase Taiwan from the international community and downgrade Taiwan’s sovereignty. II. Responding to China’s threats from infiltration and espionage activities targeting our military (1) Comprehensively review and amend our Law of Military Trial to restore the military trial system, allowing military judges to return to the frontline and collaborate with prosecutorial, investigative, and judicial authorities in the handling of criminal cases in which active-duty military personnel are suspected of involvement in such military crimes as sedition, aiding the enemy, leaking confidential information, dereliction of duty, or disobedience. In the future, criminal cases involving active-duty military personnel who are suspected of violating the Criminal Code of the Armed Forces will be tried by a military court. (2) Implement supporting reforms, including the establishment of a personnel management act for military judges and separate organization acts for military courts and military prosecutors’ offices. Once planning and discussion are completed, the MND will fully explain to and communicate with the public to ensure that the restoration of the military trial system gains the trust and full support of society. (3) To deter the various types of controversial rhetoric and behavior exhibited by active-duty as well as retired military personnel that severely damage the morale of our national military, the MND must discuss and propose an addition to the Criminal Code of the Armed Forces on penalties for expressions of loyalty to the enemy as well as revise the regulations for military personnel and their families receiving retirement benefits, so as to uphold military discipline. III. Responding to China’s threats aimed at obscuring the national identity of the people of Taiwan (1) I request that the Ministry of the Interior (MOI), Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), and other relevant agencies, wherever necessary, carry out inspections and management of the documents involving identification that Taiwanese citizens apply for in China, including: passports, ID cards, permanent residence certificates, and residence certificates, especially when the applicants are military personnel, civil servants, or public school educators, who have an obligation of loyalty to Taiwan. This will be done to strictly prevent and deter united front operations, which are performed by China under the guise of “integrated development,” that attempt to distort our people’s national identity. (2) With respect to naturalization and integration of individuals from China, Hong Kong, and Macau into Taiwanese society, more national security considerations must be taken into account while also attending to Taiwan’s social development and individual rights: Chinese nationals applying for permanent residency in Taiwan must, in accordance with the law of Taiwan, relinquish their existing household registration and passport and may not hold dual identity status. As for the systems in place to process individuals from Hong Kong or Macau applying for residency or permanent residency in Taiwan, there will be additional provisions for long-term residency to meet practical needs. IV. Responding to China’s threats from united front infiltration into Taiwanese society through cross-strait exchanges  (1) There are increasing risks involved with travel to China. (From January 1, 2024 to today, the MAC has received reports of 71 Taiwanese nationals who went missing, were detained, interrogated, or imprisoned in China; the number of unreported people who have been subjected to such treatment may be several times that. Of those, three elderly I-Kuan Tao members were detained in China in December of last year and have not yet been released.) In light of this, relevant agencies must raise public awareness of those risks, continue enhancing public communication, and implement various registration systems to reduce the potential for accidents and the risks associated with traveling to China. (2) Implement a disclosure system for exchanges with China involving public officials at all levels of the central and local government. This includes everyone from administrative officials to elected representatives, from legislators to village and neighborhood chiefs, all of whom should make the information related to such exchanges both public and transparent so that they can be accountable to the people. The MOI should also establish a disclosure system for exchanges with China involving public welfare organizations, such as religious groups, in order to prevent China’s interference and united front activities at their outset. (3) Manage the risks associated with individuals from China engaging in exchanges with Taiwan: Review and approval of Chinese individuals coming to Taiwan should be limited to normal cross-strait exchanges and official interactions under the principles of parity and dignity, and relevant factors such as changes in the cross-strait situation should be taken into consideration. Strict restrictions should be placed on Chinese individuals who have histories with the united front coming to Taiwan, and Chinese individuals should be prohibited from coming to Taiwan to conduct activities related in any way to the united front. (4) Political interference from China and the resulting risks to national security should be avoided in cross-strait exchanges. This includes the review and management of religious, cultural, academic, and education exchanges, which should in principle be depoliticized and de-risked so as to simplify people-to-people exchanges and promote healthy and orderly exchanges. (5) To deter the united front tactics of a cultural nature employed by Chinese nationals to undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty, the Executive Yuan must formulate a solution to make our local cultural industries more competitive, including enhanced support and incentives for our film, television, and cultural and creative industries to boost their strengths in democratic cultural creation, raise international competitiveness, and encourage research in Taiwan’s own history and culture. (6) Strengthen guidance and management for entertainers developing their careers in China. The competent authorities should provide entertainers with guidelines on conduct while working in China, and make clear the scope of investigation and response to conduct that endangers national dignity. This will help prevent China from pressuring Taiwanese entertainers to make statements or act in ways that endanger national dignity. (7) The relevant authorities must adopt proactive, effective measures to prevent China from engaging in cognitive warfare against Taiwan or endangering cybersecurity through the internet, applications, AI, and other such tools. (8) To implement these measures, each competent authority must run a comprehensive review of the relevant administrative ordinances, measures, and interpretations, and complete the relevant regulations for legal enforcement. Should there be any shortcomings, the legal framework for national security should be strengthened and amendments to the National Security Act, Anti-Infiltration Act, Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, Laws and Regulations Regarding Hong Kong & Macao Affairs, or Cyber Security Management Act should be proposed. Communication with the public should also be increased so that implementation can happen as soon as possible. V. Responding to threats from China using “integrated development” to attract Taiwanese businesspeople and youth (1) I request that the NSC and administrative agencies work together to carry out strategic structural adjustments to the economic and trade relations between Taiwan and China based on the strategies of putting Taiwan first and expanding our global presence while staying rooted in Taiwan. In addition, they should carry out necessary, orderly adjustments to the flow of talent, goods, money, and skills involved in cross-strait economic and trade relations based on the principle of strengthening Taiwan’s foundations to better manage risk. This will help boost economic security and give us more power to respond to China’s economic and trade united front and economic coercion against Taiwan. (2) I request that the Ministry of Education, MAC, Ministry of Economic Affairs, and other relevant agencies work together to comprehensively strengthen young students’ literacy education on China and deepen their understanding of cross-strait exchanges. I also request these agencies to widely publicize mechanisms for employment and entrepreneurship for Taiwan’s youth and provide ample information and assistance so that young students have more confidence in the nation’s future and more actively invest in building up and developing Taiwan. My fellow citizens, this year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. History tells us that any authoritarian act of aggression or annexation will ultimately end in failure. The only way we can safeguard freedom and prevail against authoritarian aggression is through solidarity. As we face increasingly severe threats, the government will not stop doing its utmost to ensure that our national sovereignty is not infringed upon, and to ensure that the freedom, democracy, and way of life of Taiwan’s 23 million people continues on as normal. But relying solely on the power of the government is not enough. What we need even more is for all citizens to stay vigilant and take action. Every citizen stands on the frontline of the defense of democracy and freedom. Here is what we can do together: First, we can increase our media literacy, and refrain from spreading and passing on united front messaging from the Chinese state. Second, we can organize and participate in civic education activities to increase our knowledge about united front operations and build up whole-of-society defense resilience. Third, we can promptly expose concerted united front efforts so that all malicious attempts are difficult to carry out. Fourth, we must refuse to participate in any activities that sacrifice national interests. The vigilance and action of every citizen forms the strongest line of defense against united front infiltration. Only through solidarity can we resist being divided. As long as every citizen plays their part toward our nation’s goals for prosperity and security, and as long as we work together, nothing can defeat us.