At the 115th National Day ceremony on Oct. 10, President Lai Ching-te gave his third National Day address, using the image of a 'city on a hill' to frame the economy, livelihood issues and an appeal for unity ahead of local elections.
According to Liberty Times (自由時報) and United Daily News (聯合報) on Oct. 10, President Lai Ching-te delivered the address in the plaza in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei at the 115th-year ROC National Day ceremony, under the title 'Taiwan: City on a Hill, Salt of the Earth, Light of the World.' It was his third National Day speech since taking office.
광고 문의 · 300×250Liberty Times reported that Lai used the city on a hill to describe a secure, united Taiwan that supports peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. The city stands for practical governance, salt for democratic and defense strength that protects peace, and light for innovation, equality and goodness. He said the height of the city 'is not declared by the government itself but is built up layer by layer by people's daily lives.'
Economic scorecard and 30 years of direct elections
United Daily News reported that Lai noted this year marks 30 years of direct presidential elections and said democracy and economic development are compatible. He cited first-half growth of 14.15%, with full-year growth possibly above 11%, a 39-year high; per capita GDP of about US$45,332, roughly double 2016; a TAIEX above 49,000 points, the world's fourth-largest market; and a fourth-place ranking in the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook.
He also said progress should not be measured by output and exports alone, but by wages, family burdens, elder care and whether young people believe effort will be rewarded. The paper said he spoke of 'not just one sacred mountain protecting the nation, but many industries together forming a range of guardian mountains,' and described the Executive Yuan's 13 core strategic industries and a NT$100 billion-scale program for small and micro enterprises.
On diplomacy, he mentioned his trip to Eswatini, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim's visits to Palau and the European forum on freedom and democracy in Italy, and presented 'Taiwan Can Help' as Taiwan's offer of cooperation in health, agriculture, energy and education. He also praised Taiwan's Asian Games athletes.
An appeal before the elections, and the opposition's response
With local elections due in November, Lai said parties may compete and opinions may differ, but 'the Taiwan on which we stand should not be divided because of it.' United Daily News reported that he described the city's glow as coming not from an absence of disagreement but from mutual respect, trust in institutions and shared defense of the country.
United Daily News reported that Hsu Yu-chen, secretary-general of the Kuomintang legislative caucus, criticized the speech for lacking concrete solutions to political and cross-strait challenges. Former President Chen Shui-bian, former Vice Presidents Annette Lu and Chen Chien-jen also attended the ceremony.