President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) laid out his three major missions as president shortly following the one-year anniversary of his administration. He also reiterated his stance that in the face of China’s threats, Taiwan is willing to engage in cooperation providing it is based on a foundation of equal dignity.
President Lai met with important officials from major medical groups in Tainan on Monday, where he went on to speak about his mission as president, outlining three major undertakings. His first, he says, is to ensure the survival and development of the country by holding to the democratic, constitutional system and ensuring that Taiwan’s future is decided solely by its 23 million people.
His second mission is to ensure the safety of the people and their property across the country. Reminding listeners that there are no real winners in war, he pointed to his four-pillar peace plan, reiterating his commitment to keeping the peace. Lai says his third mission is to take care of the jobs of Taiwan’s 23 million people, including enterprises and industries of all sizes. Lai again pointed to his work with Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰), including their industry listening tours and special budget plan, as a show of how dedicated he is to supporting Taiwan's industries.
Finally, speaking on the cross strait issues, President Lai reiterated that Taiwan is willing to engage in exchanges with China as long as they are conducted with equal dignity. Taiwan, he said, is willing to cooperate to work toward the goal of peaceful co-prosperity between both sides of the Taiwan Strait – so long as the realities and pursuits of each are respected in equal measure.