New Bloom Magazine
Date: 02/09/2019
By: Brian Hioe
Photo Credit: Tsai Ing-wen/Facebook

TAIWANESE POLITICAL leaders took the opportunity to criticize China’s lack of democracy in their Lunar New Year’s messages, as observed in speeches by president Tsai Ing-wen and premier Su Tseng-chang.

In Tsai’s speech, which was released in the form of a video on Facebook, Tsai offered her new year’s wishes to “Taiwanese and ethnic Chinese around the world”, stating that Taiwan remained committed to defending its democratic freedoms, and that even during the new year, members of the military, airport staff, and other security personnel continue to work to protect those freedoms from possible threats. Tsai would also remark on that the Lunar New Year was celebrated by ethnic Chinese across the world, also reiterating her new year’s greetings in Hakka, Cantonese, and Teochew.

LUNAR NEW YEAR SPEECH BY TSAI
Tsai then went on to state that Taiwan preserved traditional culture and democracy as a core value of society, but that places without democracy might not be able to understand this. As such, Tsai stated that she hoped other ethnic Chinese societies could also enjoy the blessings of democracy. In closing, Tsai would offer her new year’s greetings in English, stating that many foreigners had come to visit Taiwan during the new year’s and that she hoped they would enjoy their stay in Taiwan.

Su Tseng-chang’s comments, on the other hand, which were also released in the form of a video on Facebook, struck a humorous note, with Su discussing the dangers of the African swine fever virus in the form of a cooking program. Su stated that if there was “mutual cooperation” in Taiwanese society, there would be no need to worry about the swine fever, reminded that if food is heated properly, this would kill the swine fever virus, and emphasized that swine fever only affects pigs, not humans. Su also stated that travelers who failed to pay fines on bringing meat into Taiwan would not be allowed into the country, as a preventative measure, and asked citizens to contact authorities if they found any dead pigs, particularly by riversides or in public areas.    [FULL  STORY]