President Lai Reaffirms Taiwan's Sovereignty in First Unity Address

President Lai Ching-te has kicked off a series of 10 speeches around Taiwan which he hopes will help heal the country's political divide.

Transcript

00:00President Lai Qingde creates an audience in New Taipei.

00:03He's here to give the first in a series of 10 speeches with the theme of uniting the country.

00:08It comes as Taiwan's partisan divide continues to grow.

00:12The theme of this speech, nation.

00:14In his remarks, Lai reiterated Taiwan's sovereignty,

00:18emphasizing that the People's Republic of China has never ruled the island country.

00:30In the face of growing aggression from China and other pressing challenges,

00:50Lai said it is important for Taiwan's people and political parties to band together.

00:55But the opposition has questioned the timing and purpose of Lai's speaking tour.

01:00which was announced just one day after election authorities greenlit recall votes

01:04against 24 Kuomintang lawmakers.

01:06Those are set to take place on July 26th.

01:21The chair of the Smaller Taiwan People's Party also criticized Lai's unity speeches,

01:26saying they are aimed at fueling political divisions.

01:30The presidential office says Lai's other nine speeches will cover topics ranging from diplomacy,

01:47national defense, and cross-strait relations, to democracy, peace, and prosperity.

01:52But with the mass lawmaker recall movement unfolding in the background,

01:56bringing the country together will not be an easy task.

02:00Scott Huang and Isabel Wong for Taiwan Plus.