President Lai Ching-te said he will pursue policies that further democracy, maintain regional peace and expand Taiwan’s engagement with the global community to promote prosperity and development around the world.
Lai made the remarks during an exclusive interview with Time at the Presidential Office in Taipei City for a story published June 13 by the New York-based magazine.
According to the president, Taiwan’s relations with diplomatic partners are firmly based on the principles of mutual benefit and reciprocity, regardless of which political party is in power. Chinese attempts to sway Taiwan’s allies will not affect the country’s status as a beacon of freedom and bastion of democracy, he said.
In terms of cross-strait relations, Lai said the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other, and emphasized that the stance was in line with the ROC constitution and had been espoused by his two predecessors. He called on China to conduct reciprocal exchanges with Taiwan on mutually beneficial issues that promote peace, prosperity and the well-being of people on both sides of the strait.
With regards to Taiwan’s position in the global semiconductor supply chain, the president said that although Taiwan has an advantage in IC design, wafer manufacturing, packing and testing, it also shares the responsibility to promote prosperity and development globally. He added that the government respects local firms’ decisions to expand their presence in other markets.
On the domestic front, Lai said the new administration has been intently focused on reducing economic inequality by enhancing the salaries and lives of the working class. He pledged to achieve this goal by raising minimum wages based on GDP or price increases and promoting industrial upgrades and economic transformation, among other policy measures. (SFC-E)
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