Lai Ching-te censures China’s authoritarianism at opening of his Nantou campaign office

Lai Ching-te censures China’s authoritarianism at opening of his Nantou campaign office

2023-06-04

Ever since his presidential nomination two months ago, Vice President Lai Ching-te has been travelling around the country to set up campaign offices. On Sunday, he went to Nantou where he met his supporters in central Taiwan. The day also happened to be the 34th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests. Lai used the occasion to criticize China’s suppression of the student movement and its disregard for freedom and democracy. He said the people of Taiwan must remain united in the face of China’s constant threats and military intimidation.

Nearly a thousand supporters gathered at the opening of Lai Ching-te’s unofficial campaign office in Nantou, dubbed “Friends of Lai.” The passion of the people on display was something for which Lai was grateful. Earlier this year, Lai came here to stump for Tsai Pei-hui, who ran on a DPP ticket in a by-election. That was Lai’s first campaign as chairman of the DPP. In the end, Tsai was elected. Today, after taking the stage, Lai bowed to the crowd in a gesture of thanks.

Lai Ching-te
Vice President
You gave Tsai Pei-hui a chance, and being in Nantou as the chair of the DPP, I am filled with gratitude. I hereby bow my head to thank you again.

At the inauguration of the campaign office, 149 campaign directors were welcomed into the fold. Lai shook hands with each of them to show his sincerity. Sunday also happened to be June 4, which marked the 34th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre, which happened on June 4, 1989. Lai used the occasion to censure China’s ever-increasing authoritarianism.

Lai Ching-te
Vice President
China suppressed the student movement and refused to accept the demands of the students. The current situation has become worse than in the past. But Taiwan’s current achievements in democracy are among the top ten in the world and in the first place in Asia.

While on the subject of cross-strait tensions, Lai called on the people of Taiwan to remain united and not fear any threats.

Lai Ching-te
Vice President
The threat from China is something we should face seriously. We must not take it lightly, and we do not need to provoke them. The institution of freedom and democracy must be upheld. The Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China are not subjugated to each other. That’s something we must insist on as well.

As he guns for the top seat in the 2024 elections, Lai reiterates that defending Taiwan’s sovereignty will be his responsibility.

談六四事件34週年賴清德:中國手段更加惡化

2023-06-04

力拼2024年大選，副總統賴清德，今天(4日)參加「南投信賴台灣之友會」成立，這天同時也是「六四天安門事件」34週年，賴清德說，中國當年以武力鎮壓學運，罔顧民主自由，事隔多年獨裁專制手段更加惡化，台灣面臨中國不斷的文攻武嚇威脅，一定要更加團結。

賴清德南投信賴台灣之友會成立，上千位支持者擠爆會場，南投人的溫暖，讓賴清德銘感五內，因為今年初，南投立委補選是賴清德接任黨主席的第一仗，蔡培慧獲得勝利，賴清德致詞前，先深深一鞠躬，感謝鄉親。

[[副總統賴清德]]
“大家給蔡培慧一個機會，身為民進黨黨主席來到南投縣，心裡真的充滿感恩，在此再一鞠躬感謝大家”

成立大會上，149名後援會長，賴清德親自握手請託，表達誠意；6月4日這一天，正好是對岸天安門事件34週年的日子，賴清德批中國專制獨裁，變本加厲。

[[副總統賴清德]]
“中國鎮壓學生運動，不接受學生要求，現在的情形比過去更加惡化，但是台灣現在民主的成績，是全世界前十名，亞洲第一名”

談到兩岸緊張情勢，賴清德呼籲台灣人團結不用怕威脅。

[[副總統賴清德]]
“中國的威脅我們一定要嚴肅面對，我們不能掉以輕心，我們也不用挑釁他們，自由民主的體制我們一定要堅持，中華民國與中華人民共和國，互不隸屬我們也一定要堅持”

力拼2024大位，賴清德重申捍衛台灣主權，將是重責大任。

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Sasha Dees
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In Taiwan, you have typhoons and earthquakes. That happens in Haiti with the earthquakes. It happens in St. Maarten, which is one of the islands that belong to the Dutch kingdom still. There is that similarity as well. The work talks about endangered plants and species which I think Taiwan has a lot of as well.

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Sasha Dees
Curator
The first connection of course is that the Netherlands was a colonial power. We colonized countries both in the Far West and Far East. The Netherlands was also the first to colonize Taiwan. That is a literal connection. Although, Taiwan it was only 40 years. The Caribbean has been a much longer time. That made me spark my interest to see what other connections are there. There are other issues like sovereignty of course. Can you be your own country in this time and age? What are the problems you walk into? Translational labor.

The works explore global issues including cross-regional labor, climate change, protests, identity, the immigrant experience, and sustainable development. The exhibit features six pieces of artwork from seven Caribbean artists, including two from Taiwan’s diplomatic allies from Haiti and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

This work is by Nadia Huggins. “Circa No Future” documents the story of boys from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines swimming in the sea.

Sasha Dees
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This work shows a very poetic way the sea and how local people really engage with the sea and how young boys become adults. How we all know that feeling of jumping into the sea and you feel very free and your worries disappear. You can actually really become your true self. I thought that was also a nice link to Taiwan, who is currently so much trying to develop this identity to really stand out as its own country.

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New college graduate
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New college graduate
I’m hoping for a starting salary of NT$35,000 to NT$40,000. But it will really depend on whatever job I find.

New college graduate
We aren’t part of that 37% who will start off making NT$40,000. We’re part of the other 63%.

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Yang Tsung-pin
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Lettuce is sorted by hand, then crushed by a machine and ground to a fine powder. Taiwan’s first “vegetable pulverization factory” opened last year. Here, local organic vegetables are turned into powder by Taoyuan Farmers Association. The powder makes a nutritional, high-fiber drink.

Chou Tsung-wei
Taoyuan Farmers’ Association
We wanted to diversify and enrich our agricultural products. Firstly, it helps our farmers; we contract them to plant larger areas of organic vegetables.

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This is one of their best-sellers, Inca berries and blueberries coated with white chocolate. It’s crunchy, sweet, and sour at the same time.

Stephany Yang
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There are three layers. The outer layer is blueberry. The middle layer is white chocolate. And lastly, Inca berry.

Ivan Huang
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This one has been super, super popular. Customers who come into our store like this because they mention that the smell is so unique. That makes them want to taste more. This one is using berries from Lithuania and also is coated with quality white chocolate, and they also add blueberries to cover the white chocolate. So it is so unique and special.

Besides Inca berries and blueberries coated with white chocolate, there are also freeze-dried strawberries, and freeze-dried blueberries coated with white chocolate and dark chocolate. There’s also Lithuanian chocolate with cherries, and more. Patrons can choose and customize their chocolate flavors according to their preferences.

Member of the public
My child likes it. He likes colorful chocolates so I searched online. The reviews are great, so I came here to check it out. I have never been to Lithuania.

Ivan Huang
Founder
Because Lithuania is the land of berries. So you can find many different berries in our dark chocolate, white chocolate, and also milk chocolate. Because customers in Taiwan like strawberries. So, our number one is strawberry, followed by cherries and dark chocolate, and also cranberry dark chocolate.

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We thought it was necessary to find finger food to go well with tea. Six years ago, TAITRA they organized a meeting with suppliers from Europe. In that meeting, we met Rolandas. He brought this to me. I tried the strawberry dark chocolate. It was so tasty. At that moment, we decided to work with them. We started to do business with them six years ago.

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Ivan Huang
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It was about two years ago. Lithuanian government donated vaccines to Taiwan. It gave us a chance to properly introduce this brand and also this quality chocolate to the market. We recieved alot of orders from customers and also each order brings a warm message like "Thank you Lithuania. "

To celebrate the deepening relations between Taiwan and Lithuania, the company even created a limited edition dark chocolate exclusively for patrons in Taiwan.

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To celebrate the two nations has been super close. The connection and relations between these two nations is warming up so that is why we decided to do something different.

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