President Lai Ching-te urged the Taiwanese people to keep walking firmly on the path of democracy in his televised New Year address. Amid geopolitical tensions with China and a fractured legislature domestically, Lai says the country's values of freedom and democracy that have earned Taiwan global trust are the only way forward.
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00:00The international situation is changing rapidly.
00:03Taiwan must continue to move forward steadily."
00:09In his first New Year's address as president, Lai Ching-te encouraged the Taiwanese people
00:15to keep demonstrating to the international community the value of the country's democracy.
00:20Pointing to wins in technology, the economy and world-class sporting events in 2024, Lai
00:27said Taiwan's efforts are being seen and praised, despite continued coercion by neighboring
00:33China threatening to take the self-ruled nation by force.
00:38Last year, Beijing launched large-scale military exercises dubbed Joint Sword around Taiwan
00:44after two of Lai's major speeches, viewing the elected president as a dangerous separatist.
00:51Looking ahead, Lai welcomed exchanges with China, but questioned Beijing's goodwill,
00:57given it limits things like Chinese tourism and visiting students to Taiwan.
01:02We welcome China to conduct equal, dignified and healthy exchanges.
01:10There is no need to resort to these methods, because it is of no help to Taiwan's people's
01:17trust in cross-strait cooperation.
01:20Lai and his ruling Democratic Progressive Party, or DPP, have also faced major tests
01:26domestically.
01:27Despite winning a historic third straight term in top office, in the legislature they
01:32lost their majority.
01:35Lawmakers clashed physically on multiple occasions over opposition party Kuomintang-led reform
01:40bills supported by the smaller opposition force the Taiwan People's Party.
01:46Lai recognized party factions are a part of democratic politics.
01:51He urged the resolve must be in line with the constitution.
02:01Lai says 2025 will be a challenging year for democracies, with ongoing wars in Ukraine
02:07and Gaza, and threats from authoritarian regimes like those in China and Russia.
02:13Despite the challenges that may come, Lai affirmed that Taiwan's values in freedom
02:18and democracy, which have earned it global trust and partnership, are the country's
02:23only way forward.
02:25Andy Xue and Joyce Zeng for Taiwan Plus.