Taiwan President Ma: 'Proud of democracy, proud of Taiwan'

On 10 October, during Taiwan's annual 'Double Tenth National Day' celebration,  President Ma Ying-jeou said that the Republic of China had provided the best example of democratic politics, as it tolerated different opinions, prompts communication and resolves disputes.

As is customary, the Double Tenth Day celebration was held on the square facing the Presidential office. President Ma gave a speech entitled: 'Being Proud of Democracy, Proud of Taiwan', and EU Reporter was in attendance.

Support for Hong Kong protesters

Concerning the ongoing protests and demonstrations for universal suffrage in Hong Kong, and linked with the theme of President Ma's speech, Ma told EU Reporter: "When it comes to cross-strait relations, the so-called 1992 consensus and 'one China, different interpretations' have been the grounds for peaceful developments between mainland China and Taiwan for the past six years. This is our unwavering stance, and I must remind China that now is the best time for it to embrace democracy. The democratic developments between China and Hong Kong are based on the leaders' wisdom and acceptance in the face of change. Why can't Deng Xiaoping's famous proposal for some people to get rich first work in Hong Kong, to let some people go democratic first?”

Turning crisis into opportunities

In the face of major crises or issues, the government has been able to deal with problems in a legal and appropriate manner, said the president, who listed the Sunflower Movement, the Taipei Metro stabbings, the Penghu air crash, the Kaohsiung explosions and the contaminated oil scares as incidents that have rocked society and worried the people. “We have been working hard to turn crises into opportunities. After the joint efforts of the people and the government, we have seen actual results in infrastructure, economic growth rate, exports and record highs on the stock market,” Ma said. “Taiwan's economy has entered a positive cycle, as nearly half of our enterprises are recruiting additional employees and our manpower demands are the second highest in the world.”

However, Ma added that he felt recent demonstrations in Taiwan, such as students occupying administrative buildings were "not helpful, and were an impediment to democracy".

Vow to end food scares

“Just like all of the nation's citizens, I find tainted, refuse lard oil and its manufacturing to be wholly unacceptable and have asked executive departments to deal out harsh punishments to put a stop to tainted foods,” said Ma.

In his speech, the president pointed out that the tainted oil scare has affected over 1,000 food retailers. “Despite how the government has efficiently located the manufacturers responsible and the whereabouts of the products, the people have become fearful and companies have suffered losses. Because of the coverage of foreign media, the country's overall image has taken a blow that is not limited to the food industry. The government has vowed to stamp out tainted food products,” Ma said.

Images: Copyright Terry Miller

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