00:00Taiwan just marked its national day with the large ceremony in Taipei featuring a speech from President Lai Qingde,
00:06music and performances showcasing the diversity of the country.
00:10Lai's speech has some pointed messages and we are just now starting to see the response from the rest of the world.
00:17Our reporter Tiffany Wong has been following the activities and joins us now live from our newsroom in Taipei.
00:23Tiffany, what are some of the big takeaways from this year's event?
00:26Hi, Betty. Well, this year's National Day celebrations come amid growing geopolitical tensions and domestic economic challenges.
00:37But the pomp and circumstance that we saw outside Taiwan's presidential office on Friday morning
00:43are meant to show Taiwan is still a bright and vibrant democracy and also a key player in regional security.
00:50Taiwan's commitment to its self-defense as well as its commitment to developing certain industries
00:58were a key focus of President Lai Qingde's speech, his second since becoming president.
01:03Take a look at this.
01:04Wishing a happy National Day to Taiwan with big festivities outside the presidential office,
01:14showing off the talents, diversity, and might of the nation.
01:25President Lai Qingde delivered his second National Day speech as head of state with foreign dignitaries in attendance,
01:35ramping up promises of maintaining peace and security in the Taiwan Strait.
01:40He also had a direct message for China, which claims Taiwan as its own
01:44and has blocked the country from participating in major international organizations.
01:48Lai Qingde's speech is a very proud of the Chinese government.
02:08That message was interpreted by some as lies showing a softer attitude to Beijing amid growing cross-strait tensions.
02:15I think Lai, bilaterally, he tried to be using more graceful language towards China.
02:22When he called on China to talk about assuming responsibility befitting of a great power,
02:28he's really calling on China to listen to the better angels of Beijing's nature
02:32and the better angels that Lai still believes Beijing has.
02:36And when it comes to more multilateral terms, that's when he tried to be more deterrent-oriented.
02:42Defense was another focus of Lai's speech,
02:45especially as the country tries to prove its domestic capabilities and determination to international allies.
03:12Taiwan's biggest partner, the U.S., has been urging Taipei to pursue asymmetric defense strategies and spend more on its defense.
03:34Lai mentioned that Taiwan's expected to raise the defense budget to over 3 percent of GDP next year
03:40and still has a goal of reaching 5 percent of GDP by 2030.
03:45Experts say by putting Taiwan's self-defense capabilities first,
03:49Lai is trying to reassure partners that Taiwan has the intention to take care of itself,
03:53but that it's also trying to prove its pivotal role in regional peace, which other partners have an interest in.
03:59Lai is pretty comprehensive. He talked about strengthening internal balance and external balance.
04:06Internal balance in terms of strengthening Taiwan's own domestic defense system as the increased spending.
04:12Also about external balance, that is leveraging more friends, partners from abroad,
04:16so that they can lock themselves into a more sustainable, longer-term ecosystem of defense cooperation,
04:22and thereby creating more path dependency that's going to sustain Taiwan's defensive commitments going forward.
04:30So international countries who are watching should be very emboldened by Taiwan's commitment to defense,
04:36judging from Lai's speech.
04:38But besides addressing an international audience, Lai also had a message for the people of Taiwan,
04:43urging them to show strength in the face of adversity and acknowledging their daily challenges.
04:47Lai is the president of the United States.
05:18As Taiwan celebrates another year as a free country, Lai's address shows the country's
05:23capabilities in self-defense and reminds the country's allies that Taiwan is a necessary
05:28part of the global supply chain and Indo-Pacific security.
05:34Big national events in Taiwan do tend to stir a response from China, and today is no different.
05:40Taiwan's Coast Guard reported that a Chinese Coast Guard vessel breached restricted waters
05:45near Taiwan's Dongsha or Prada's Island on Friday morning, and it's condemning the Chinese
05:50side for using gray zone tactics to undermine peace in the Taiwan Strait.
05:55China, of course, views Taiwan's National Day as a separatist celebration, so it's really
06:00no surprise there that we're seeing this kind of military, this kind of response from China.
06:06Lai's speech itself has also attracted some attention from China.
06:10Its foreign ministry called Lai a troublemaker and a warmonger, saying that seeking
06:15independence by force will only drag Taiwan into conflict, this referring to Lai's commitment
06:21to boosting military spending.
06:24Now, whether China makes any moves will reveal whether President Lai's strategy of peace through
06:29strength, this strategy can work to maintain stability in the Taiwan Strait or provoke conflicts.
06:36Thank you, Tiffany.
06:39That was Tiffany Wong live from Taipei.
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