Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

On the morning of December 9, President Tsai Ing-wen met with a senior delegation of representatives from the industry association SEMI and the renewable energy sector. During the meeting, President Tsai stated that the government will continue working to achieve its goal of 20 gigawatts of installed solar capacity by 2025, and will release additional offshore wind power capacity for development each year in order to build a more flexible and resilient power grid. The president also asked the business community for its support in these government efforts, so that we can lay a solid foundation for Taiwan's future global competitiveness. A translation of President Tsai's remarks follows: It was just yesterday that we met at the Energy Taiwan expo. And it is a pleasure to welcome you all to the Presidential Office today for a more in-depth exchange of views and to hear your valued opinions. First of all, I want to thank SEMI for its longstanding focus on the development of Taiwan's semiconductor sector. Its annual SEMICON Taiwan exhibition is a major event for the global semiconductor industry, as well as an important platform for our homegrown firms to connect with their international counterparts. Let me take this opportunity to wish SEMI all success with the upcoming SEMICON Taiwan exhibition, which will be held at the end of the month. This year, the value of Taiwan's semiconductor industry is expected to exceed NT$4 trillion, breaking previous records. One important task we have in maintaining our nation's global leadership in this sector is the development of green energy, so we can address the demand for green energy from semiconductor firms. Since 2016, cooperation between our government and all of you, as industry leaders, has yielded notable progress in Taiwan's solar and wind power sectors. And last year, the Ministry of Economic Affairs established a platform for trading green energy, speeding up efforts to coordinate green energy demand and supply in the private sector. Going forward, as we pursue our goal of 20 gigawatts of installed solar capacity by 2025, I will be closely following the MOEA's evaluation of additional areas for potential solar power project development. In addition, we have already announced details of the bidding process and localization requirements for the third phase of our offshore wind power development plan, as part of which 1.5 gigawatts of capacity will be up for bidding each year from 2026 to 2031. Moreover, to facilitate the integration of renewable energy into Taiwan's power supply grid, Taipower has set a goal of installing more than 1,000 megawatts of energy storage capacity by 2025, through a combination of direct construction as well as private tenders. Our administration will continue to work to ensure the stability of our power grid by developing more flexible and resilient systems. Energy transition is a key policy priority for our government, and we have a clear roadmap for how to overcome the challenges ahead of us and meet our goals. Your cooperation and support for our government's efforts are important to us. Together, we can help lay a firm foundation for Taiwan's future competitiveness. Among the members of the visiting delegation were SEMI Global Chief Marketing Officer and SEMI Taiwan President Terry Tsao (曹世綸), SEMI PV Committee Chairman Andy Shen (沈維鈞), SEMI Wind Energy Committee Vice Chairman Julian Kuo (郭世榮), SEMI Energy Storage Committee Chairman Paul Ai (艾祖華); United Renewable Energy Co. (URE) Chairman Sam Hong (洪傳獻); TSEC Corp. Chairman Liao Kuo-jung (廖國榮); ASE Technology Holding Co. Corporate Administration Officer Dtuang Wang (汪渡村); Yuen Foong Yu Group Chairman Hui-Jean Liu (劉慧瑾); Copenhagen Infrastructure Wind Power Development Taiwan Co. Managing Director Marina Hsu (許乃文); Ørsted Asia Pacific President Matthias Bausenwein; Siemens Gamesa Offshore Asia-Pacific General Manager Niels Steenberg; AUO Optronics Corp. Vice President of Energy Business T.Y. Lin (林恬宇); and Enel X Taiwan Co. General Manager Chen Wei-ting (陳威廷).

On the morning of December 8, President Tsai Ing-wen attended the opening ceremony of the 2021 Energy Taiwan exhibition. In remarks, President Tsai stated that by 2025 domestic construction of wind and solar power installations is set to generate NT$1.7 trillion in investments, more than NT$2 trillion in output value, and 160,000 job opportunities. The president also said that the government is making every effort to make Taiwan the green energy hub of Asia, while speeding up and expanding our green energy rollout so that Taiwan's energy sector will be an indispensable link in the international green energy supply chain. A translation of President Tsai's remarks follows: We're all aware that one of the key issues at last month's COP26 was the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. This goal has become a global consensus, and, going forward, countries around the world will be working toward reducing their carbon emissions. Transforming our energy sector is the key to reducing carbon emissions, and today's Energy Taiwan exhibition highlights Taiwan's determination and ability to develop renewable energy. Each of you here is an important partner to our government in our joint effort to promote Taiwan's energy transition. I have participated in this exhibition's opening ceremony for four consecutive years, not just to show how important energy issues are for this administration, but also to thank all of you in person. Because of your efforts, Taiwan has been able to engage with the international community and contribute more to the world. Climate change is a global challenge, and Taiwan is joining the global response. The Environmental Protection Administration is currently working on amendments to our nation's Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Management Act, including writing the 2050 net-zero goal into law. And the Executive Yuan has set up a task force to evaluate possible paths toward net-zero emissions and draft a blueprint for our energy transition. Today's exhibition is our domestic green energy industry's largest platform for exchange. I want everyone to know that our government is making every effort to realize our vitally important goal of making Taiwan the green energy hub of Asia. In the future, global industrial demand for green energy will only continue to grow. This year, Taiwan began to implement provisions that will spur major power consumers to increase the proportion of renewable energy they use within five years. The EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism will also subject the carbon footprints of export products to more rigorous inspections. As such, many international enterprises have joined the RE100 initiative, under which they have committed to using 100-percent renewable energy in the future. Here, TSMC and UMC are among the companies which have joined RE100 and have acted on their green energy commitments. I'm sure you all noticed that last week, SEMI released new data showing that Taiwan's firms spent over US$7.3 billion on semiconductor manufacturing equipment in the third quarter, setting a domestic record and making Taiwan the world's largest market for such equipment. This year, the output value of Taiwan's semiconductor industry is projected to surpass NT$4 trillion for the first time ever. Our semiconductor industry is indeed thriving. To meet urgent industry demand for green energy, our government is speeding up and expanding our green energy rollout, and is helping make Taiwan's energy sector an indispensable link in the international green energy supply chain. I also want to share with you that Taiwan's solar energy installed capacity has grown by a factor of 4.7 over the past five years, and our second offshore wind farm has also started operation. We expect that, through 2025, wind and solar power construction projects in Taiwan will generate NT$1.7 trillion in investments, more than NT$2 trillion in output value, and 160,000 job opportunities. To further progress and develop, Taiwan must continue to promote the transformation of our energy sector. To reach our long-term goal of net-zero emissions, we need to use natural gas in this transitional period and build a more flexible and responsive power supply network. Building the third liquefied natural gas import terminal will help relieve the imbalance created by generating power for northern Taiwan in central and southern Taiwan, and will also reduce air pollution in central and southern Taiwan. This facility is crucial to Taiwan's energy sector and to achieving net-zero emissions. We all know how important energy is to our nation's economic development, industrial competitiveness, and people's everyday lives. So, however difficult this energy transition may be, our government will continue to engage with people throughout society to jointly resolve any issues we might encounter. I hope we can combine our collective strengths and resolutely forge ahead on this path. In closing, I want to thank the organizer and co-organizers for their efforts to expand the scope of this exhibition every year. I also want to congratulate today's award winners, and thank each of you for your contributions to transforming Taiwan's energy sector. Let's continue to work together toward this goal. Thank you, and I wish you all a successful exhibition. Following her address, President Tsai presented the SEMI Taiwan Industry Contribution Awards, Taiwan Excellent PV Awards, Top Solar Awards, and PVGSA Renewable PV Power System Promotion Awards to awardees and firms. The president also visited the Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, United Renewable Energy, and Taiwan Solar Energy Corporation exhibition booths and listened to presentations introducing their products. Also in attendance at the exhibition were Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Lin Chuan-neng (林全能), Chairman of the Taiwan External Trade Development Council James C. F. Huang (黃志芳), SEMI Taiwan President Terry Tsao (曹世綸), and members of the diplomatic corps stationed in Taiwan.

On the morning of April 22, President Tsai Ing-wen attended the opening ceremony of the 2021 Social Design Action Forum, entitled "Sustainability—The Solutions for Our Earth." In her remarks at the event, President Tsai noted that we all have a common goal: to cut carbon emissions and slow climate change, thereby reducing the resulting impacts and giving humans and all living things a sustainable environment. At the same time, she said, carbon reduction will prompt profound economic changes. The president added that Taiwan is plotting a path to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, both via an ongoing energy transformation, and by developing systematic strategies to reduce emissions in sectors such as manufacturing, transportation, residential construction, and agriculture. A translation of the president's remarks follows: Today is Earth Day, a day when we come together to think about ways to promote sustainable development. We must recognize that humankind's only home, our earth, is now facing serious challenges. Taiwan is a key example of the challenges we face. Due to the effects of extreme weather, two or three years ago, we were worrying about flooding after torrential rains. And from last year until now, we have been experiencing our most severe drought in a century.  Although our proactive Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program has strengthened our water distribution and the development of new water sources, the challenges that we face from extreme weather are still serious. We all hope that these extreme weather patterns will not become the new normal. We therefore have a responsibility to work even harder to resolve climate issues.  As everyone knows, a new international trend is emerging to respond to climate change. The European Union (EU) led the way by proposing a European Green Deal at the end of 2019, including a pledge to become carbon-neutral, which means achieving net zero emissions, by 2050. The EU is also expected to start imposing a carbon tax. In addition, in the Indo-Pacific region, Japan, Korea, and China have all come out since last year to propose target dates for reaching net zero emissions. Our key partner, the United States, is also following suit, and today, President Joe Biden will convene a climate summit. The United States will play a key role in addressing global carbon reduction.  The world is changing rapidly, and so far, over 120 countries have announced plans to achieve net zero emissions before 2050. Many multinational brands such as Apple, Google, and Microsoft have also made commitments to reach net zero emissions. Everyone has a common goal: to cut carbon emissions and slow climate change, thereby reducing the resulting impacts and giving humans and all living things a sustainable environment. At the same time, carbon reduction will prompt profound economic changes. Whoever can take the lead in developing new technologies and creating new economic models will cement their status in a new global order. Taiwan will not be left to chase this international trend. During my first term in office, we launched the 5+2 industrial innovation plan, as part of which we are now engaged in an all-out effort to develop green energy and a circular economy. In my New Year's address this past January, I said that we would consult widely to identify the future sustainable development methods most appropriate for Taiwan, while turning the challenges of carbon reduction into new opportunities for industrial development and job creation. Most countries around the world are talking about achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and Taiwan is actively preparing to take steps toward this goal. Under the coordination of our Executive Yuan, our government has already begun evaluating what Taiwan needs to do to reduce CO2 emissions. In addition to the ongoing transformation of our energy sector, we also need to devise systematic strategies to reduce emissions in manufacturing, transportation, residential construction, and agriculture. Some regard these things as a challenge, but I firmly believe that many of our friends in industry see the transformation to net zero as an opportunity. Thinking must change on both the supply and demand sides of the market, so that we can seize new business opportunities and make Taiwan an even stronger competitor in global supply chains. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), for example, has joined the RE100 renewable energy initiative, which promotes 100-percent reliance on green energy. And many companies have joined the Taiwan Circular Economy 100, an alliance of firms seeking to move away from the linear economy toward a circular economy. These are excellent examples of the willingness of industry to adapt to these emerging trends. I was also very happy to see domestic media organizations, corporations, and civil society groups launch the 2021 Social Design Action Forum, held in collaboration with the American Institute in Taiwan, to expand space for international exchange focused on innovation. Kevin Yang (楊振甫), the CEO of 5% Design Action and the curator of today's event, said that "The battle for sustainability isn't one you can fight alone." The cover of the latest issue of TIME magazine clearly states: "Climate Is Everything." Putting a stop to global warming is one of the key challenges of our generation. As I said earlier, Taiwan cannot sit on the sidelines of this challenge; we must seek out opportunities to cooperate with other countries and create mutually beneficial outcomes. In closing, I want to thank the organizers of this summit for their thoughtful arrangements, as well as the many people concerned about climate change in attendance. I wish you all success over the coming three days, as everyone pools their collective wisdom to come up with creative new solutions.

President Tsai Ing-wen attended the Third Global Corporate Sustainability Forum and Taiwan Corporate Sustainability Awards ceremony on the morning of November 18. She explained the government's sustainable development policies, and expressed hope that government and business will learn from each other and explore the viability of various action plans together so that we can actively share Taiwan's experiences with our global partners A translation of President Tsai's remarks follows: I am delighted to be here for the Global Corporate Sustainability Forum with so many leading figures from the business community. First, I want to congratulate all the enterprises that have won a "Taiwan Corporate Sustainability Award" or "Global Corporate Sustainability Award." Thank you all for showing a strong sense of corporate social responsibility. I also want to thank Ambassador Eugene Chien (簡又新). Under his leadership, the Corporate Sustainability Awards are now in their 13th year, leading more and more companies to make sustainable development part of their business DNA. In an international evaluation last year, Taiwan enterprises ranked third in the world for Environment, Social & Governance (ESG) information disclosure transparency. So your efforts have produced excellent results. Over the last three years the Alliance for Sustainable Development Goals, jointly founded by the government and private sector, has not only presented "Global Corporate Sustainability Awards" to enterprises around the world. It has also created Asia's largest corporate sustainability forum. In spite of COVID-19's impact this year, our success in containing the pandemic has allowed us to hold this important platform for international exchange. Everyone's efforts complement Taiwan's key international development strategies. To address the current global pandemic, we have put the "Taiwan Can Help" spirit into practice by providing disease prevention materials and sharing our disease prevention experience. And we should also contribute our capabilities and experience to address post-pandemic global challenges like climate change, and economic and social transformation. Of course, to contribute to the world, first we have to keep improving ourselves. Over the past few years, the government began by consulting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to continuously make sustainable development one of our key policy implementation goals. Through the adoption of our "Taiwan Sustainable Development Goals," we have mapped out national sustainable development policy directions and established the corresponding targets. We have also included key industries such as green energy and the circular economy in our "5+2 Innovative Industries Program" and "Six Core Strategic Industries" initiative to encourage enterprises to use clean renewable energy. This will enable them to adopt sustainable development values in the process of industrial upgrading and transformation. The government also hopes to give enterprises even more encouragement to focus seriously on sustainable development. So beginning in August this year, we launched the "Green Finance Action Plan 2.0" and "Corporate Governance 3.0—Sustainable Development Roadmap." These initiatives draw on the power of financial institutions to encourage enterprises to apply Responsible Investment principles as they influence supply chains and consumers, and thereby work together to contribute to sustainable development. We are also sharing our experiences with international partners. Early this month, for example, representatives from Taiwan, the United States, Japan, and the Netherlands exchanged circular economy and marine conservation experiences through the Global Cooperation and Training Framework. These examples show that Taiwan has done a lot in the field of sustainable development, and we want to continue and do even more. More important, we want to bring the "Taiwan Can Help" spirit to global sustainable development issues. Recently, many countries have been giving careful consideration to linking their green policies in response to climate change and post-pandemic economic stimulus measures with sustainable development goals to create a "green stimulus" effect. I hope that the "Global Corporate Sustainability Forum" will give government and business a chance to learn from each other and explore the viability of various action plans together. We can also actively share Taiwan's experiences with our global partners. Once again, I want to thank everyone here today for your efforts to promote sustainable development. Let's join forces and continue to make even greater contributions to Taiwan and the world. Following her remarks, the president personally presented the awards to the representatives from award-winning enterprises, recognizing their efforts to achieve sustainable development. Also in attendance were Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Lin Chuan-neng (林全能), Financial Supervisory Commission Vice Chairperson Hsu Yung-chin (許永欽), Alliance for Sustainable Development Goals Chairperson Ambassador Eugene Chien, and Head of the European Economic and Trade Office Filip Grzegorzewski.

On the morning of October 2, President Tsai Ing-wen attended the opening ceremony of the EcoMobility World Festival and Congress 2017. The president praised Kaohsiung City for its excellent performance as event host, and expressed hope that more cities in Taiwan will follow Kaohsiung's lead by getting involved in ecomobility so that citizens throughout Taiwan can have more convenient, healthy, and sustainable living environments. After arriving at the venue President Tsai first enjoyed a performance called "Impressions of Taiwan" by the Succession Percussion Group. She then watched an opening ceremony video produced by the event organizers, and delivered remarks, stating that the decision of Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) to hold the third EcoMobility World Festival in Kaohsiung shows that the city has changed. Formerly a traditional industrial city, she said, Kaohsiung is now gradually changing direction and adopting the path of sustainable development. President Tsai pointed out that the sight of Kaohsiung police officers patrolling the streets on electric scooters is no longer a surprise, the C-bike bicycle sharing system has already logged more than 15 million rentals, all stations in phase-one of the Kaohsiung Light Rail System are now in service, and the Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit System has begun to turn a profit. In addition, planning for a new rail network continues to progress. System density will increase as time goes by, and public transportation is expected to become more and more popular with local residents. President Tsai stated that Kaohsiung's development of ecomobility demonstrates the city's commitment to urban transformation, and said her administration hopes to see other cities follow Kaohsiung's lead by embracing ecomobility so that citizens throughout Taiwan can have more convenient, healthy, and sustainable living environments. The government will therefore tap into the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program special budget to support railway construction throughout Taiwan to balance out the previous emphasis on highway construction. President Tsai stated that first-time visitors to Taiwan must certainly feel curious about the huge number of scooters on the streets. The fact is, she said, the popularity of scooters in Taiwan is dictated by the logistics of our urban and rural lifestyles, which is why the government is planning to develop electric scooters. The aim is to spur the growth of domestic demand for electric scooters. The president mentioned that the feasibility of self-driving buses is now being tested in Kaohsiung, Changhua (in central Taiwan), and Taipei. The government is also planning to build a test facility for self-driving vehicles. By integrating our manufacturing capabilities in the fields of computer chips, autos, and the Internet of Things, she said, Taiwan is looking to develop a driverless vehicle manufacturing industry. President Tsai thinks that ecomobility involves more than just cleaner transportation. As suggested by the theme of this year's Congress—Livable, Shared, and Intelligent—ecomobility is a way of life, a new kind of culture. The president pointed out that more smart mobility, car sharing, walking, and human-centered urban planning will help residents to develop closer links to their local communities. Consumption patterns will become more varied, and city life will become less focused on just a small number of shopping districts. This sort of bottom-up vitality will spur the overall sustainable development of cities, said President Tsai, who added: "These are precisely the objectives that the ICLEI is pursuing." President Tsai observed that since its founding, the ICLEI has done an admirable job of promoting sustainability, resilience, livability, and low-carbon systems. Taiwan is willing to continue cooperating with the ICLEI and other friends around the world in the field of ecomobility, said the president, who invited people from all around Taiwan to come to Kaohsiung's Hamasen district to get a feel for the benefits of ecomobility and experience a new lifestyle. President Tsai praised Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) for decisively putting the city on a more environmentally friendly path. The president also emphasized that her administration's actions will prove that "Taiwan's future is a green future." She then added, "Let's go! Go Kaohsiung!" After completing her remarks, President Tsai and the distinguished guests watched a video by Delta Electronics on Taiwan's water situation. Then the president joined Mayor Chen and others in boarding a self-driving vehicle to experience the convenience afforded by technology. In addition to Mayor Chen, other attendees included Kaohsiung City Council Speaker Yu-Cheng Kang (康裕成), ICLEI Secretary General Gino Van Begin, and representatives from member cities of the EcoMobility Alliance.

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.