The government is committed to enhancing Taiwan’s resilience and bolstering sustainable development, according to Vice President Lai Ching-te Sept. 1 in Taipei City.
Coronavirus has highlighted key social issues facing the country, including the aging population, climate change, environmental degradation, income inequality and the rural-urban divide, Lai said.
According to the vice president, over 200 million people around the world have become infected with the virus and more than 4 million people have lost their lives. As a result, the global economy has taken a devastating hit, affecting the industrial supply chain and all segments of society, he added.
Lai made the remarks in a video address during a city summit organized by Taipei City-based CommonWealth Magazine.
Leaders around the world face the challenge of supporting economic recovery while keeping the virus at bay, the vice president said, adding that shaping Taiwan into a more resilient country remains the government’s top priority. Among the raft of measures currently underway to ensure the country is prepared for future pandemics are reforms aimed at strengthening the National Health Insurance system and strategic stockpile industries, he added.
The vice president took the opportunity to express his gratitude to the organizer of the event for gathering governing heads from home and abroad as well as industry leaders and academic experts to conduct cross-city and cross-sector exchanges. Such discussions will help facilitate a new governance model for co-existing with the virus, he added. (DL-E)
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