Taiwan President Lai Ching-te stated that Taiwan welcomes engaging in equal, dignified, healthy, and orderly exchanges with Mainland China.
According to reports from Taiwan's United Daily News and ETtoday News Cloud, Lai Ching-te made this appeal during a media interview following his New Year's Day speech on the 1st.
In response to a media question about internet influencers exposing Mainland China's attempt to lure Taiwanese individuals into obtaining Mainland China ID cards, Lai Ching-te said that many democratic countries have strict controls over Mainland Chinese students, industrial investments, and immigration. Mainland Chinese people are also trying various ways to smuggle into other countries. For anyone looking to obtain a Mainland China ID card, “any way you look at it, it's not worth it; it’s not a good idea.”
Lai Ching-te also urged Taiwanese citizens not to stray for momentary benefits, as taking one wrong step today will lead to larger consequences in the future and pose greater risks. He would instruct relevant agencies to enhance public awareness and explanation efforts to ensure Taiwanese people understand the severity and avoid making mistakes.
Lai Ching-te reiterated that Taiwan welcomes engaging in equal, dignified, healthy, and orderly exchanges with Mainland China. Mainland China is openly and straightforwardly exchanging and cooperating with Taiwan, but such methods are unnecessary and do not aid cross-strait exchanges and cooperation or in gaining people's trust.
Earlier, in his New Year's speech, Lai Ching-te emphasized that the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are essential elements for world security and prosperity. Taiwan must remain vigilant and continue increasing the defense budget, strengthening defense capabilities, and demonstrating the resolve to protect Taiwan.
He also mentioned the need to rally forces to enhance societal resilience, build capacity to respond to large-scale disasters and deter threats of aggression, and strengthen communication to counter information and cognitive warfare, urging the entire populace to reject threats and inducements, and collectively prevent malicious infiltration by foreign forces.
Lai Ching-te stated that the safer Taiwan is, the safer the world becomes; the more resilient Taiwan is, the stronger the global democratic defense line will be. The global democratic alliance should work together to support a “democratic umbrella,” jointly seek solutions to the Russia-Ukraine war and Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and collectively maintain stability across the Taiwan Strait and security in the Indo-Pacific, achieving the goal of world peace.