Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) took the stage at Taiwan’s National Day event this Thursday to pay tribute to predecessors, acknowledge Taiwan’s vast global accomplishments, and emphasize the importance of democracy and freedom. Han, who also acted as National Day Preparatory Committee chair, looked back on Taiwan’s 113 years, noting the internal and external hardships the nation has endured in order to secure peace for its 23 million residents.
Taiwan may only occupy 0.03% of the earth’s land and 0.3% of the world’s population, but it has been able to create nearly 3% of the world’s industrial products, Han said. To listeners, he stated that Taiwan is our country, the beautiful island is our home, Chinese culture is our root, and democracy and freedom are our treasures.
Han noted that people under the age of 60 have never experienced war, famine, or poverty, but stressed to these generations that it was the national flag with a blue sky, white sun, and red ground that has protected the country. He said that while this flag cannot be flown at many international occasions, he hopes the nation will have the courage to show the world that it exists, whether that be through tech companies, humanitarian aid organizations, religious institutions, Olympic athletes, or overseas compatriots.
Han said the road of democracy and freedom is unstoppable, and emphasized that only an open and transparent system can become a political system of the people, by the people, and for the people under the scrutiny of the whole people.