Professional Documents
Culture Documents
OCTOBER 2011
The event climaxed when the DPPs candidate for vice president, Su Jia-chyuan, accompanied by Tsai, made their entrance right down the heart of the supporting crowd. Tsai immediately spoke to the crowds on Mas proposal for a peace agreement with China, in which Tsai said she believed the proposal as reckless, and that Ma was simply delivering impulsive schemes without deliberating or even considering the consequences. A hasty and rash policy towards China is more dangerous than an incompetent government, Tsai said. For an incompetent government, the people can tighten their belts and try to cope with the current administration. A rash policy towards China could seriously hinder our future generations chance to make choices for themselves. Tsai mentioned that she had previously asked Ma for a bipartisan discussion of referendum laws in order to ensure that the rights of the people were accurately and justly represented, but she said it was turned down because Ma thought it was unnecessary. When I become president, I will not act strictly on impulse and say whatever I will without giving much thought to the consequences.
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reservations from within the party. Gradually, Tsai resolved all doubts and suspicions as she successfully united the party once again with her moderate and pragmatic approach, which is considered atypical yet proven effective. To further understand the path of the first female presidential candidate, the book offers a great aspect of her life, in her own words.
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DPPs campaign bus tour from south to north connects with grassroots supporters
Campaign Route One is the name of the campaign trail by DPP Chair Tsai Ing-wen from the southernmost part of Taiwan to the northernmost, a 500 kilometers route designed to connect with the heart and soul of DPP's grassroots support. The campaign began on October 6th from Pingtung's Cape Eluanbi, and it went through 14 counties/ cities, and 79 towns/ villages, ending with 80,000 gathered in the heart of Taipei City. From beginning to the end, Tsai had engaged in many interactions with her supporters throughout the trip, such as playing soft tennis in Pintung, and riding bicycles in Yunlin. Nonetheless, the entire campaign trip emphasized on DPPs core principles, focusing on socio-economic and domestic problems rather than cross-strait issues at a time where social equality is being heavily challenged in Taiwan. Tsai visited many of the underprivileged groups in Taiwan throughout Campaign Route One, as well as touched upon many aspects of the society
that have been undermined by the current government such as artists, athletes, and farmers alike. In a speech delivered by Tsai in Chiayi, she discussed the inequality issue that is prevalent in Taiwan. We are all Taiwanese citizens, but why do we receive unequal treatment from the government PAGE 4
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On relations with China, Chair Tsai said that she would improve the relationship with China by sharing the concept of peaceful development in mutually beneficial, wise and responsible ways. She further stated that it is Taiwan's responsibility to maintain peace and stability in the region. The most realistic way to reach this goal, she said, is "to reach a strategic understanding that recognizes differences while also allowing for the pursuit of common interests." On her last day in Tokyo, speaking to a class of more than 300 students at Waseda University, Chair Tsai talked about how the young generations should develop independent thinking and how important it is for citizens today to enjoy freedom and democracy. During her stay in Japan, Chair Tsai also met with Secretary-General Nobuteru Ishihar and the leadership of the opposition Liberal Democratic Party at the LDP headquarters. Additionally, she met with former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe from the LDP, and other key figures. Commenting on the meetings with the important political figures in a press conference concluding the Japan visit, she said Japan and Taiwan share deep
cultural and historical ties and that the two countries should seek to reinforce bilateral relations, which should not be affected due to power shifts in either country. She also emphasized that people she met with in Japan have come to understand that the DPP is a confident and capable and determined to effectively maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait when it regains power next year. Lastly, she noted that, in contrast to previous DPP visits to Japan when most of the discussions were focused on political issues, Tsai said this trip covered a wide range of talks about peoples livelihood and other public issues such as nuclear safety, low birth rates, wealth gap, and lack of adequate jobs for the young generation - problems and challenges faced by both Taiwanese and Japanese society.
DIRECTOR: Bikhim Hsiao DEPUTY DIRECTOR: Hsieh Huai-hui EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Michael J. Fonte EDITOR: Ping-Ya Hsu STAFF WRITERS: David Huang
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