President Ma Ying-jeou has spoken about the government’s achievements during his final New Year’s address as president.
Ma spoke about breakthroughs in cross-strait relations during his seven years in office. He highlighted the Ma-Xi meeting in November and the subsequent opening of a hotline between officials in Taiwan and China. Ma said he hopes that his successor can appreciate the progress his meeting with Xi has achieved.
"This ‘bridge of peace’ has not only crossed the Taiwan Strait, it has also broken down historical barriers. I hope my successors will sincerely appreciate these developments, " Ma said.
Ma also said that his administration has promoted a policy of “viable diplomacy”. He said that under this policy, Taiwan’s peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts have won respect in the international community. Ma said the next administration must not revert to the diplomatic strategies of the past, which could severely damage Taiwan’s diplomatic efforts and the dignity of its people.
Ma said that government has long demanded that Japan apologize and compensate Taiwan for forcing Taiwanese women into sex slavery during WWII. He said the government stands with the women and will fight for justice.
"The issue of comfort women has been a topic of dispute between Taiwan and Japan for over 20 years. Nowadays, there are fewer and fewer of them remaining, so we must hurry to resolve the problem," Ma said. "I visited a comfort woman yesterday and promised her, in my own words, that the government stands with them."