Cansu Dikme
10 October 2018•Update: 11 October 2018
By Cansu Dikme
TAIPEI, Taiwan
A Taiwan that is "indispensable" to the world is the key to the island’s defense, the president said on Wednesday.
"The best way to defend Taiwan is to make it indispensable and irreplaceable to the world," Tsai Ing-wen told a gathering in Taipei during her national day address.
Reiterating her support for a sovereign Taiwan, Tsai said Taiwan would respond to the changing dynamics of the world by seeking stability and adaptability.
Tsai asserted that an effective response strategy should be based on “national strength”.
"So right now, our most important task is to strengthen national security, economy, and the social safety net," she said.
She underlined that "value-based" diplomatic links, upgraded national defense capabilities and strengthened internal security were among the elements of national security.
Making technology a key to economic transformation, Tsai also stressed infrastructure development for green energy, water resources, railways and urban-rural development.
She also underlined the fight against organized crime and fraud in Taiwan.
"Taiwan itself is a beacon. Our democratic transition once illuminated our own path through the darkness, and remains a beacon in the night for those who long for democracy," she concluded.
