Tsai Ing-wen’s National Day address: Taiwan will not leave anything up to fate

Tsai Ing-wen’s National Day address: Taiwan will not leave anything up to fate

2022-10-10

President Tsai Ing-wen on Monday delivered her seventh National Day address as the leader of Taiwan. The speech contained plenty of references to cross-strait relations. Tsai stressed that Taiwan remained committed to being able to defend itself, adding that the country would not leave anything up to fate. She urged Beijing to not misjudge Taiwan’s commitment to freedom and democracy, saying that maintaining peace was a shared responsibility of both sides of the strait.

Ceremonial music plays as President Tsai Ing-wen appears at the National Day celebrations. This year is her penultimate time attending the event as president.

Tsai Ing-wen
President
Today is the 111th National Day of the Republic of China, and the 73rd National Day since the Republic of China government relocated to Taiwan.

At last year’s address, Tsai listed out “four commitments” on cross-strait relations. This time around, she enumerated four key areas to enhance Taiwan’s resilience.

Tsai Ing-wen
President
The international community fully understands that upholding Taiwan’s security means upholding regional stability and democratic values. The destruction of Taiwan’s democracy and freedom would be a grave defeat for the world’s democracies. Through our actions, we are sending a message to the international community that Taiwan will take responsibility for our own self-defense, that we will not leave anything to fate.

Tsai said that Taiwan was determined to defend itself. She also directed some words at Beijing regarding its constant military threats and its pressure on Taiwan’s diplomatic allies to cut ties with Taiwan.

Tsai Ing-wen
President
The broadest consensus among the Taiwanese people and our various political parties is that we must defend our national sovereignty and our free and democratic way of life. On this point, we have no room for compromise. The Beijing authorities should not make any misjudgment on account of Taiwan’s vigorous democratic system. They must not mistake that there is room for compromise in the Taiwanese people’s commitment to democracy and freedom, and thus attempt to divide Taiwanese society by exploiting the fierce competition between our political parties. I want to make clear to the Beijing authorities that armed confrontation is absolutely not an option for our two sides.

Tsai called on China to respect Taiwan’s insistence on sovereignty and democracy. She also voiced hope that the two sides of the strait could coexist in peace.

Tsai Ing-wen
President
We look forward to the gradual resumption of healthy and orderly cross-strait people-to-people exchanges after the loosening of border restrictions on both sides, thereby easing tensions in the Taiwan Strait. Provided there is rationality, equality, and mutual respect, we are willing to work with the Beijing authorities to find a mutually agreeable arrangement for upholding peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. This is our shared responsibility.

Tsai ended her address evoking the spirit of Hong Rui-lin, a Taiwanese artist known for his paintings of miners.

Tsai Ing-wen
President
This is the years-long road we have traveled, from a darker time to a brighter future. Today, saying "I am Taiwanese" is a statement of honor and an expression of pride.

As with previous years, the president’s address on National Day contained plenty of words for the other side of the strait.

不會坐等命運被決定! 蔡總統喊話中國願找和平方法

2022-10-10

蔡總統就任後第七個國慶日，重頭戲總統談話，兩岸關係依舊是外界觀察重點，總統表示，台灣不會坐等命運被決定，要北京不要誤判，也喊話中國，尋找雙方可接受的和平穩定的方法，這是兩岸共同的責任。

國軍樂隊樂聲中，總統蔡英文現身國慶大會，這是他總統任內倒數第二個國慶。

[[總統蔡英文]]
“今天是中華民國111年的國慶，也是中華民國立足台灣以來，第73個國慶日。”

繼去年國慶演說談四個堅持，總統今年再拋出四大韌性，尤其是民主韌性。

[[總統蔡英文]]
“國際社會非常清楚，維護台灣的安全就是維護區域穩定跟民主價值，一旦台灣的民主自由被摧毀，將是世界民主陣營的重大挫敗。我們用行動告訴全世界，台灣會挑起自我防衛的責任，我們不會坐等命運被決定。”

總統強調台灣自我防衛的決心，對於中國軍事恫嚇、外交打壓不斷，總統也有話要說給對岸聽。

[[總統蔡英文]]
“台灣人民和朝野政黨的最大共識，就是捍衛主權，以及我們民主自由的生活方式，這一點我們沒有妥協的空間。北京當局不要因為台灣活躍的民主體制，而有所誤判，誤認台灣人民對民主自由的堅持是可以妥協的，進而試圖利用政黨之間的激烈競爭，來分化台灣社會。我要呼籲北京當局，兵戎相見絕對不是兩岸的選項。”

總統喊話要中國尊重台灣人民對主權和民主的堅持，也盼和平共處。

[[總統蔡英文]]
“我們期待在兩岸邊境解封之後，能夠逐步恢復兩岸人民之間健康有序的交流，進而舒緩台海的緊張情勢，在理性平等及相互尊重之下，我們也願意和北京當局，尋求雙方可以接受維持台海和平穩定的方法，這是我們的共同責任。”

總統演說最後，還借鑑礦工畫家洪瑞麟掘光而行的精神。

[[總統蔡英文]]
“這是我們過去多年以來，從黑暗的坑洞中掘光而行，終於走出來的一條道路，大聲的說出我是台灣人，是一種光榮，也是一種驕傲。”

總統國慶演說，兩岸關係依舊是重中之重。

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Holding up national flags, KMT Chair Eric Chu leads party members in wishing the R.O.C. a happy birthday. The KMT on Monday held a National Day flag-raising ceremony of its own at its party headquarters. The event was attended by former President Ma Ying-jeou, former Taipei mayors Wu Po-hsiung 吳伯雄 and Hau Lung-pin, and Taipei mayoral candidate Chiang Wan-an among many others. Together, they protested that the official logo for this year’s celebrations did not include the words “R.O.C.”

Eric Chu
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The R.O.C. exists. We all exist here together. Defending the R.O.C. is our shared responsibility. We say no to the DPP’s daily attempts to make the R.O.C. invisible, and to eventually destroy it.

Ma Ying-jeou
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The Tsai administration promoted this as the “Taiwan National Day.” The words “R.O.C.” are gone. The only way to change this precarious status quo, is by changing the government, and changing its policies.

Ma once protested the branding of this year’s National Day logo, saying that leaving out the words “R.O.C.” from the design was a DDP “Taiwan independence” tactic. After the flag-raising ceremony at the KMT headquarters, he and Chu headed to the official event at the Presidential Office. Ma chose to forgo the face masks with the official National Day logo, wearing ones with a pattern of national flags instead.

Tsai Ing-wen
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The work of making the Republic of China, Taiwan, a more resilient country

Ma joined the rest of the officials in applauding after Tsai referred to Taiwan by its official name. At the event grounds, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je said that the R.O.C. was still the biggest common denominator in Taiwan. Meanwhile, the Taiwan Statebuilding Party on Monday held a press conference saying that the current National Day celebrations are not actually celebrating Taiwan.

Wang Hsing-huan
Taiwan Statebuilding Party
Oct. 10 is not the National Day for the people of Taiwan. What year was it that Taiwan was founded on Oct. 10? The R.O.C. is celebrating its 111th anniversary. That marks the founding of China in 1911. In the future, Taiwan’s national day will be a day to celebrate its independence.

The Taiwan Statebuilding Party says that the R.O.C.’s anniversary is not a celebration for Taiwan. Party members say that Taiwan will only truly have a national day of its own after it becomes a separate entity from the R.O.C.

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I wrote about a conversation that I had with my late mother while I was making carrot cake. I first ate carrot cake at my friend’s home in London, i.e. in the West. I was studying there. It was something I had never eaten in Taiwan. I was really surprised by it.

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