President Lai Ching-te said Sept. 24 that Taiwan is committed to enhancing civil defense capabilities so that its people have the knowledge and skills needed to protect themselves and their beloved country.
Lai made the remarks while participating in a civil defense training organized by Academia Formosana in the central county of Nantou. Authorities and organizations at all levels are working to advance civil defense and natural disaster response, as evidenced by drills held on the National Disaster Prevention Day Sept. 21, Lai said. He further praised the AF-formulated plans to reduce potential casualties and property damage during disasters and conflict.
Lai went on to reiterate his missions as president, noting that safeguarding the country’s sovereignty is a top priority. He added that the ROC (Taiwan) and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other, and that the future of Taiwan can only be decided by its 23 million people. Ensuring the safety of the country’s people is equally important, Lai said, citing the country’s enhanced national defense capabilities since former President Tsai Ing-wen took office in 2016.
His third mission is to boost the country’s economy, Lai said. The president noted that the bulk of Taiwan’s overseas investment is flowing to Japan, the U.S., New Southbound Policy target countries and those across Europe, adding that the country’s investment in China accounted for only 11.4 percent of its total foreign investment last year, decreasing from 83.8 percent in 2010.
According to Lai, the newly established Presidential Office Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee will convene a meeting every three months to further the country’s responses to natural disasters. (YCH-E)
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