On Lai's '2nd Anniversary,' DPP Urges Cross-Party Cooperation to Win International Trust for Taiwan

(CNA, Taipei, 20th, by reporter Wang Yang-yu) President Lai Ching-te delivered a speech on his second anniversary of governance today, with media attention focused on issues such as Taiwan's future international outlook. Fan Yun, secretary-general of the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) legislative caucus, said that the DPP government has 'used two years like four' and hopes the Blue and White parties can cooperate with the DPP to help Taiwan win international trust. DPP legislative caucus secretary-general Fan Yun and deputy secretary-general Huang Chieh held a press conference today to respond to public sentiment. The media asked about the DPP caucus's expectations for President Lai's second-anniversary speech and the outlook for Taiwan's future international status. Fan Yun said that Premier Cho Jung-tai had already explained the administration's achievements over the past two years to the public yesterday, including water resource resilience construction and the early launch of Long-Term Care 3.0. She stated the DPP government 'used two years like four,' and this should not be deliberately discredited by outsiders. As for the future outlook, she noted that this year is the 30th anniversary of direct presidential elections, and the 1996 election was highly significant for both Taiwan and the Republic of China because it was the first time the people, from the bottom up, used their votes to 'confirm we are a democratic, sovereign, and independent nation.' Fan Yun continued, stating that under these circumstances, she believes the most important thing for the future is to win international trust, which is crucial for Taiwan, located on the first island chain. It is also necessary to build trust from all sectors in Taiwan's determination and capability for self-defense. She expressed hope that the Blue and White parties would cooperate with the DPP to help Taiwan win international trust. Regarding former U.S. President Trump's comment that arms sales to Taiwan are a good bargaining chip for negotiations with China, Fan Yun pointed out that the Taiwan Relations Act explicitly states that the U.S. will assist Taiwan in having defensive capabilities. Taiwan-U.S. relations have not changed, nor has the part about strategic ambiguity. This act is the bipartisan legal foundation in the U.S. that makes Taiwan-U.S. relations very solid and will not change because of what someone says. Moreover, peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are not only in Taiwan's interest but also the common interest of Taiwan, the U.S., and the global economy. Regarding the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) combat readiness patrols by aircraft and ships around Taiwan today, Fan Yun said the CCP is unwilling to see the Republic of China, Taiwan, as a democratic country, nor is it willing to see a president directly elected by the people. Taiwan's democracy has actually grown amidst threats and will not fear such threats. Fan Yun also believes that Taiwan must do its defense work well and called for cross-party cooperation to protect the homeland, including support for the domestic drone-related industry. Whether through a special act, supplementary budget, or annual budget, she hopes for cross-party support and expects the opposition parties to think calmly and listen to public opinion. As for which method will ultimately be used for passage, there are many