President Tsai Ing-wen has begun 2021 with a renewed call for cross-strait dialogue. In a New Year’s address Friday, she said that Taiwan is prepared to talk with Beijing, but only if it is prepared to drop its confrontational approach to cross-strait issues and treat Taiwan with dignity.
She said that Beijing’s repeated deployment of warships and warplanes around Taiwan over the past year have turned stability in the Taiwan Strait into a point of worldwide attention. Tsai said that these military movements pose a threat not just to the two sides of the strait but to the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific Region as a whole.
Tsai also spoke in English about Taiwan’s role in the fight against COVID-19. She said Taiwan is proud to have stood alongside the international community during this struggle. She also said that Taiwan is proud to have shown the world how it can help: Taiwan delivered masks and other medical supplies to a range of countries worldwide over the past year. She said that Taiwan is a force for good in the world, and that it will always be an indispensable member of the international community.
Tsai also thanked those who have helped Taiwan’s successful fight against COVID-19 and its economic revitalization during the pandemic. She said the keys to Taiwan’s success have been public trust in experts and social unity, both of which have allowed life to continue normally despite the pandemic.
She said that Taiwan’s economy saw positive growth in 2020 and that its stock market reached a high peak during the year as well. She said that economically, the hardest stage of the pandemic for Taiwan is now over, and that no matter what economic challenges 2021 brings, Taiwan has reason to be optimistic.