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Tsai shows flexibility, good will on cross-strait ties: MAC

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/05/20
By: C.L Chen and Flor Wang

Taipei, May 20 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) showed maximum flexibility and good will on cross-Taiwan Strait ties based on the existing reality in her inaugural address, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Friday.

To demonstrate her determination to deal with cross-strait affairs pragmatically, the president said she wanted to develop consistent, predictable and sustainable relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, the MAC said in a statement issued in response to comments by China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) earlier Friday.

Although Tsai pledged in the speech that she will continue to promote stable and peaceful ties with China, the TAO expressed dissatisfaction with her comments.

While noting that Tsai said the two sides “arrived at various joint acknowledgments and understandings” in 1992, the TAO said she did not clearly recognize the “1992 consensus” or agree to its core meaning. [FULL STORY]

New premier vows to enact comprehensive reforms

Taiwan Today
Date: May 20, 2016

Taiwan’s new Premier Lin Chuan accepted the seal of office May 20 from his predecessor Chang

Taiwan’s new Premier Lin Chuan (right) receives the seal of office May 20 from his predecessor Chang San-cheng (left) under the supervision of Vice President Chen Chien-jen. (CNA)

San-cheng at a handover ceremony at the Executive Yuan in Taipei, vowing that he and his Cabinet would communicate sincerely with the people, strive to achieve broad-based consensuses on major issues, and initiate the comprehensive reforms anticipated by the public.

“We have heard the voices of the people and their expectations for the new government. We hope to dispel the sense of loss felt by the public as well as address the problem of Taiwan’s economic stagnation,” Lin said at the ceremony.

The premier identified insufficient investment as a key reason for Taiwan’s high unemployment rate and low wage levels. Lin said the Cabinet would seek to boost domestic investment by focusing on three key areas, signing free trade agreements and joining regional economic and trade organizations; cultivating local industries based on Taiwan’s distinct regional cultures; and enacting the new government’s five industrial development objectives, which include fostering the growth of industrial clusters in areas such as biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, national defense and green technology.

Lin stressed that the members of his Cabinet must demonstrate four major qualities to meet the public’s expectations, namely the abilities to communicate effectively and solve problems practically; identify policy priorities based on the principles of innovation, job creation, equitable wealth distribution and sustainable development; achieve multiple policy goals using limited resources; and foster collaboration. [FULL STORY]

Guideline changes to be undone

IMPLEMENTATION:Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung said that changes in social studies and Chinese literature would be delayed until 2020 to allow for an amendment

Taipei Times
Date: May 22, 2016
By: Sean Lin / Staff reporter

The Ministry of Education is to take swift action to abolish contentious social studies and Chinese

Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung speaks at his first ministerial news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times

literature curriculum guideline changes passed in 2014, in accordance with a resolution passed by the legislature and approved by the Executive Yuan, Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung (潘文忠) said yesterday.

Pan made the announcement at a news conference, where he gave an overview of the education platform espoused by President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration.

“The alteration of the curriculum guidelines has been deemed unnecessary by society and the unjustified staffing of the curriculum review committee has sparked widespread criticism,” Pan said.

To ensure the fairness of college entrance exams, he said that the ministry would make sure that the College Entrance Examination Center does not give students test questions originating from materials produced according to the 2014 guidelines that are missing in the earlier 2011 guidelines or vice versa, adding that the ministry would respect the choice of high schools that have already decided to use textbooks based on the new guidelines.

Tsai’s Inauguration: How China and the World Reacted

The News Lens
Date: May 20, 2016
By: Edward White

Tsai Ing-wen was today sworn in as the new president of Taiwan.

For Taiwan, the day was historic on many counts. The country has its first female president. It also now has in power a reform-pledging leader with a massive mandate for change and a majority in the legislature.

At the inauguration in Taipei this morning, a calm and mostly quiet crowd of thousands sat or stood, listened and watched, occasionally clapped in support, as a new era in Taiwan politics and cross-strait relations began.

What Tsai said

Tsai’s inaugural address clearly laid out the magnitude of the challenge facing the new administration.

Almost every facet of society was covered: from the need to overhaul the pension, education, childcare and judicial systems, to reshaping and repositioning a struggling economy while protecting the environment and lifting youth wages.

Tsai also committed to a transitional justice process to address the crimes of Taiwan’s past, and she signalled greater autonomy for the island’s indigenous population. [FULL STORY]

China responds to Tsai speech

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-05-20
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – President Tsai Ing-wen’s comments on China relations in her inauguration speech were like an incomplete answer to an exam question, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said Friday.

After her swearing-in Friday morning, Tsai gave an official 30-minute address which also included references to her China policies. She did not mention “One China” and the controversial “1992 Consensus,” but did acknowledge the 1992 Hong Kong talks as a historical fact which had led to positive developments.

Tsai took a vague stance on the basic question of the nature of cross-straits relations, said the TAO, the Chinese government department in charge of Taiwan policies and relations. It published a statement about four hours after Tsai delivered her speech.

She did not clearly acknowledge the “1992 Consensus” and did not identify with its basic significance, the TAO said, adding Tsai had also failed to propose a concrete way of safeguarding the peaceful stable development of cross-straits relations. [FULL STORY]

President Tsai takes pride in Taiwan’s kindness

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/05/20
By: P.C. Tang and Flor Wang

Taipei, May 20 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said Friday that it was her greatest honor to gain the trust of Taiwan’s people and lead the country, and she promised that the new government will do its utmost to lead the country despite challenges ahead.

“Taiwan is great because of you, not me. I want to thank you all for being with us after all this and we are poised to take up the challenges right from tomorrow, because Taiwan’s kindness cannot be knocked down,” Tsai said during a speech at the state banquet following her inauguration as president on Friday.

She also encouraged all government agency heads and members of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to be humble while serving Taiwan’s people and achieve reforms expected by the public.

“Taiwan’s people have given us this opportunity and we must fully carry out the much desired reforms for them,” she said. [FULL STORY]

Tsai outlines her administration’s goals

NO ‘CONSENSUS’:The president acknowledged talks in 1992 found common ground, but did not explicitly endorse the ‘1992 consensus’ as Beijing demanded

Taipei Times
Date: May 21, 2016
By: Alison Hsiao / Staff reporter

Transforming the nation’s economic structure; improving the social safety net; social fairness

President Tsai Ing-wen, left, and Vice President Chen Chien-jen wave as their inauguration ceremony in Taipei draws to a close yesterday, with all participants singing the song “Formosa.” Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times

and justice; regional peace and stability and cross-strait relations; and the diplomatic and global challenges Taiwan faces were the five main points President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) talked about in her inauguration speech yesterday.

Acceptance of the so-called “1992 consensus,” which Beijing had been trying to browbeat Tsai into acknowledging in the speech, was not mentioned.

After Tsai and Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) were sworn in at the Presidential Office Building in Taipei, Tsai delivered her inauguration speech, first lauding “the democratic institutions of this country, which have allowed us to accomplish Taiwan’s third transition of political power through a peaceful electoral process.”

Democracy and the people were the main themes throughout the speech that followed.

The future of the nation lies with the younger generation and “to change young people’s predicament is to change the country’s predicament,” she said. [FULL STORY]

New Taiwan president pledges peace, urges China to drop historical baggage [VIDEO]

Reuters
Date: May 20, 2016
By: J.R. Wu AND Faith Hung

Taiwan’s new president urged China on Friday to “drop the baggage of history” in an

First female president takes office in Taiwan

otherwise conciliatory inauguration speech that Beijing’s Communist Party rulers had been watching for any move towards independence.

President Tsai Ing-wen was sworn in with Taiwan’s export-driven economy on the ropes and China, which views the self-ruled island as its own, looking across the Taiwan Strait for anti-Beijing sentiment that could further sour economic ties.

Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which has traditionally favored independence, won parliamentary and presidential elections by a landslide in January and takes over after eight years under China-friendly Nationalist Ma Ying-jeou.

Tsai, Taiwan’s first female president, said Taiwan would play a responsible role and be a “staunch guardian of peace” in its relationship with China.

“Cross-Strait relations have become an integral part of building regional peace and collective security,” she told thousands outside the presidential office.

“The two governing parties across the Strait must set aside the baggage of history and engage in positive dialogue for the benefit of the people on both sides.” [FULL STORY]

[Photo Story] Inauguration of Taiwan President

The News Lens
Date: May 20, 2016
By: Edward White

In scorching heat in central Taipei this morning, thousands of people took part in history as Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan’s first female president, was sworn into office.

Most people watched the proceedings quietly, either sitting in front of the stage or standing watching the big screens, politely clapping at several junctures during Tsai’s speech.

On the major roads nearby the Presidential Office, groups supporting a range of different causes gathered.

Pro-independence and pro-unification supporters were divided by a major intersection and several lines of authorities.

New Power Party’s Freddy Lim has a lighter moment between interviews.

Many groups rallied for different causes near the Presidential Office.

One of several pro-independence groups gathering at the inauguration.

[FULL STORY]

Tsai will pledge to build “better country” in inaugural speech: aide

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-05-20
By: By Sophia Yeh and Jay Chen, Central News Agency

Taipei, May 20 (CNA) President-elect Tsai Ing-wen will focus on her plans for “building a better country for young people” in her inaugural speech Friday, according to a close aide.

Tsai wrote much of her own speech and the text was not finalized until Thursday afternoon, said Huang Chung-yen, who will be the spokesman of the Presidential Office after Tsai and her government are sworn in during the day.

Tsai is due to begin her 30-minute speech in front of the Presidential Office building at 11 a.m. after being sworn in at 9 a.m. to become Taiwan’s first woman head of state.

A main goal of her government is to build a better country for the young, Huang said. Tsai wants to hand over to the next generation a country that is in a better state, he added. [FULL STORY]

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