President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) attended the National Prayer Breakfast on Friday, the first time in three years the event has been held. The breakfast was organized by Christian organizations of several denominations. Five speakers led prayers at the breakfast focused on various topics affecting Taiwanese society. Speakers included Guatemala Ambassador to Taiwan Oscar Adolfo Padilla Lam, and chairman and CEO of electronics company Acer Jason Chen.
President Tsai gave a speech in keeping with the tradition of letting the Taiwan president speak at the event. Tsai responded to the topics brought up by the other speakers and says she has a responsibility as the country’s president to address those issues. Tsai says she hopes everyone in Taiwan will contribute as well. She adds that in addition to developing Taiwan’s economy, the government continues to expand social welfare to provide more support for people.
The annual breakfast had been canceled for several years in a row. In 2020, it was canceled due to a dispute over a social media post by Tsai inviting people to attend the 18th annual LGBT+ Pride Parade. The breakfasts in 2021 and 2022 were not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.