TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) commemorated the 30th anniversary of Taiwan's first democratic presidential election on Monday.

Lai recalled in a Facebook post that on March 23, 1996, Taiwanese elected their own president to be “the true masters of their country.” However, on the eve of the first direct presidential election, China launched missiles into the Taiwan Strait and deployed troops in preparation for military exercises in a failed attempt to intimidate the Taiwanese and influence the vote, he said. 

Ultimately, the Taiwanese “opened the door to freedom and democracy for future generations,” Lai said. Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) was elected president, winning 54% of the vote. If they had chosen to give up, the Taiwan we know today would not exist, he added. 

The president vowed that the Taiwanese “will carry the same level of courage as we continue to move forward on the path of democracy with confidence and determination.”

The courage and perseverance of those who went to the polls 30 years ago allowed Taiwan to develop its semiconductor and AI industries, which are now among the world’s best, Lai said. Taiwan’s economic resilience makes it an indispensable part of global supply chains and a global force for good, he said.

“Only determination, perseverance, and strength can safeguard our most precious values of democracy and freedom,” Lai said.