TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Sunday (July 17) called for the reopening of Taiwan to international tourists and a timeline for loosening border controls.
During a speech at the Taipei International Convention Center for the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP's) National Congress in Taipei, Tsai said as life returns to normal, the DPP must seize the opportunity to revitalize the economy, evaluate the timetable for opening the borders, and renew efforts to draw international tourists to Taiwan.
Tsai announced that "Unite Taiwan, Take Good Care of the Future" was the theme of the event and the mission of the DPP. Tsai stressed that in addition to "being able to do things," the DPP must also "do the right things."
"We have not forgotten the responsibility of reform, nor have we neglected the challenges of reality. We have the ability to steadily lead Taiwan to the world stage amid a changing global situation," said Tsai. The president said the post-pandemic era is a world full of opportunities and challenges, especially amid the Russo-Ukrainian War and international inflation, and therefore it is important to remain resolute.
Tsai said the fundamentals of Taiwan's economy are sound, and many industries have also attained key strategic positions during the restructuring of the global supply chain. "More importantly, Taiwan's society is full of resilience, and Taiwanese also have enough courage and wisdom to be able to transform this crisis into a turning point," said Tsai.
The president pledged the DPP will make good use of these advantages and maintain economic growth and stable prices, while paying special attention to the needs of workers and youths at the grassroots level. She pointed out that a new national travel subsidy program was launched last week.
"As life returns to normal, the ruling team will seize opportunities to revitalize the economy, carefully evaluate a timeline for lifting border restrictions, and again strive to attract international tourists to Taiwan," vowed Tsai. To implement these measures, Tsai said that all party members must help to publicize and explain to all industries in society ways to maximize these post-pandemic business opportunities and "move toward a normal life together."
Tsai said that in the next stage, it will be even more necessary for the central and local governments to work closely together to promote the overall development of Taiwan.
