Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen says she is thankful to Taiwan’s democratic partners around the world for their support, and that Taiwan is committed to strengthening its relationships with them. That statement came in a pre-recorded New Year address published on Sunday.
Tsai also extended special thanks to Taiwan’s military, police, firefighters, the coast guard, and medical professionals, as well as essential service workers who have to work over the holidays.
The president also highlighted challenges and successes that Taiwan faced over the course of last year. The biggest challenge was the COVID-19 pandemic. Taiwan was able to dramatically increase vaccination coverage and successfully limit the spread of the virus. Tsai also mentioned a severe drought which affected central and southern Taiwan last year.
Talking about successes, the president made special mention of economic performance. Taiwan’s exports have grown for 18 consecutive months, while GDP grew by 6%, which is the highest growth in 11 years.
The president also reminded people to respond to the challenge of COVID-19 with calm and vigilance, instead of panic.