“We must accelerate the promotion of such endeavors as business innovation, economic transformation and industrial upgrade, while expanding Taiwan’s international space and cross-strait stability,” Ma said. “It is our responsibility to uphold the freedom, security and prosperity we enjoy today that the ROC’s forefathers fought so hard to establish.”
The president made the remarks in an address delivered during Double Tenth National Day celebrations outside the Presidential Office in Taipei City. The event, which attracted thousands of participants from home and abroad, was broadcast live on TV and the Internet.
Also attending were first lady Chow Mei-ching, Vice President Wu Den-yih, Legislative Yuan President Wang Jin-pyng and dignitaries from the nation’s diplomatic allies like Honduras Vice President Ricardo Antonio Alvarez Arias, Paraguay Vice President Juan Eudes Afara Maciel, St. Kitts and Nevis Deputy Prime Minister Shawn Richards, Solomon Islands Governor-General Frank Kabui and Swaziland Deputy Prime Minister Paul Dlamini.
According to Ma, this year’s National Day has great significance as it coincides with the 70th anniversary of the ROC’s victory in the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945). Under the leadership of the ROC government, the nation’s military and civilians joined to defeat a formidable enemy, restoring territorial sovereignty while making a major contribution to the Allied victory in World War II, he said.
The day was also special in that all the leaders of Taiwan’s main political parties gathered for the celebration, the president said. “I hope that means we all identify with and support what the ROC stands for regardless of political affiliations.”
Since taking office in May 2008, Ma said he has worked tirelessly to defend the nation’s freedom and democracy, adding that Taiwan now ranks among the most advanced worldwide in civil liberties, political rights and social justice.
“While being rated as a free country by U.S.-based Freedom House, we have seen considerable results in improving income distribution. From a record high 6.39 in 2001, the household income disparity ratio fell to 6.05 last year. Our personal income disparity ratio has also fallen to 3.98, the lowest in 14 years.”
These achievements are in addition to the implementation of a raft of social welfare programs over the last seven years, the president said, citing the second-generation National Health Insurance program, national and labor pension systems, and long-term care services.
At the same time, the government has made significant headway in revitalizing Taiwan’s economy, according to Ma. Taiwan’s average ranking of 11.5 for the past seven years in the World Competitiveness Yearbook survey is the nation’s best performance in nearly two decades, he said.
“Furthermore, Taiwan’s minimum wage has been raised in five consecutive years, increasing by almost 16 percent during this period. Taiwan was also rated 17th by U.S.-based Global Finance Magazine in terms of per-capita income, calculated on a purchasing power parity basis, which puts us ahead of France, Germany, Japan, South Korea and the U.K.”
In terms of cross-strait relations, the president said the government’s mainland China policy is formulated on the basis of the ROC Constitution and 1992 consensus. “We remain firm and consistent on this stance, which has received majority support in all public opinion surveys.”
Over the past seven years, Ma said, the two sides have signed 23 pacts, leading to heightened economic and people-to-people exchanges while eliminating trade barriers. This healthy state of affairs has further advanced Taiwan’s international relations, cementing its reputation as a regional peacemaker and provider of humanitarian aid, he added.
“Building on the international community’s enthusiastic response regarding my East and South China Sea Peace Initiatives, we have reached agreements on resource sharing and collaboration with Japan and the Philippines without yielding sovereignty.
“Going forward, we expect to extend such friendly partnerships across a broad spectrum of areas, including the global initiatives of International Civil Aviation Organization and World Health Organization, as well as regional trade pacts like the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and Trans-Pacific Partnership.”
The president urged all segments of society to work together to help cement for perpetuity Taiwan’s hard-won democratic and economic achievements.
“A broad consensus has coalesced around preserving the status quo, the foundation believed to allow cross-strait ties and international relations to form a virtuous cycle. I am confident that as long as Taiwan remains on the right track, our current peace and prosperity will continue well into the future.” (YHC-JSM)
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