once written off by the opinion polls
but reelected by a landslide sighing
when stunning reversal of fortune is
largely put down to one thing the
growing fear of China with the events in
Hong Kong giving renewed urgency to her
message but Taiwan's unique identity and
democratic freedoms are best preserved
by standing up to the powerful neighbor
that claims the island as its own
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residents like hi thank you very much
but might her strategy as her critics
claim hurt the economy and risk
provoking Beijing if we leave aside the
question of timetable the question of
practicality are you in principle at
least in favor of the idea of formal
Taiwanese independence the reality and
what it is now is that we are already a
functionally independent country and we
have our own government and we have our
own election will there come a day when
that reality needs to be spelled out by
a formal declaration of independence the
idea is this we don't have a need to
declare ourselves independent stepping
who you are an independent country
that's already and we call ourselves
republicana
Taiwan and we have a own system of
running the country and we do have
Carmen and we have the military and we
have elections your your victory is
largely put down to the the the the
central position of China in in the
campaign some people would say China has
always been a threat in the background
why was it so different this time around
because over the last three and more
than four years that we're seeing that
China has been intensifying its trap and
they have also some actions military
exercises and they have their military
vessels or aircraft cruising around the
island and also with the things
happening in Hong Kong people get a real
sense that this threat is real and it's
getting more and more serious you've no
doubt that under the one country two
systems' formula Hong Kong's freedoms
are being eroded yes I think so I mean
there was a time
in the past that the the the people here
are very envious were very very years of
the Hong Kong people they because they
have this amount of a freedom under the
British rule but after 1997 things have
changed a lot
your predecessor myung Joe was able to
preserve Taiwanese democracy whilst
building stronger ties with China
economically and culturally at a small
price the the continued ambiguity over
the status of this island what's not to
like about that approach situation has
changed the MB purity can no longer
serve the purposes was intended to serve
so we are facing a very difficult
different situation now and and the type
of ambiguity that the previous
governments want to use to preserve some
sort of space for both sides it's no
longer there there's also been talk by
your party about the dangers of of
Chinese influence
doesn't your landslide victory though
suggest that those claims were overblown
well I don't call it a slight at
landslide victory it is a convincing one
but not to the extent of landslide we
learn our lesson from the last direction
which is a local election and in that
election fact news that rumors and a lot
of other things that are influencing the
people's perception here and as a result
we suffer a loss on that election so
you've no doubt that's coming from China
hmm
yes to a large extent yes we have
amended quite a number of laws to
hold people accountable if they you know
are de stupid distributing this Freight
news or or manufacturing this fake news
critics are worried that that in itself
could be used as an attack on free
speech yes and we we're doing it very
carefully so that we keep the right
balance so just to sum up in terms of
where we are with China something's
changed in your view you don't buy the
idea that reverting to the old
compromise that being more ambiguous
about Taiwan's status could take us back
to a golden era in which the political
differences could be kind of shelved and
the two sides could get on with just
getting rich together no the situation
is very different but I do think that
both sides have to think more seriously
about the future so that we can co-exist
for some time and maintain the peace and
stability of course the Taiwan Strait
talk to me a little bit about your
election victory some people suggesting
that it's not just the the bigger
questions of the immediate strategic
challenge from China but something is
changing in Taiwan particularly the
younger generation I think the younger
generation oh the young generation are
pretty used to the idea that we're
separate we have a separate identity and
we're a country of our own so and if
there's anything that runs counter to
this idea they will stand up and say
that's not acceptable to us how do you
expect Beijing to react to to your
victory they should have a serious
thought about the people's expectation
as expressed by the election result and
and this is a very strong message phone
the people of Taiwan that is
yeah they don't like the idea of being
threatened all the time they don't like
the idea of being undermined all the
time with such a proud we're such proud
people and we have success in every
aspect of our lives
we're a successful democracy we have
pretty decent economy yeah
with ease of respect from China you you
spoke after the result about the your
hope that there could be a return to
dialogue how do you begin what can you
offer Beijing that that might in your
view open that door a little I think
it's for the Chinese to sit down and and
think and and also have this
preparedness to face the reality and
that is the key if they are not prepared
to face the reality
whatever we offer it won't be satisfying
to them can you promise the Taiwanese
people that you can stem the flow of
diplomatic allies shifting to to China I
think you're you're at 15 now do you
expect it to stop there no Chinese would
definitely never stop there to take away
our diplomatic allies but the thing is
that we try whatever we can to keep our
diplomatic allies isn't the danger
though that's without an expression of
good faith on your side that and this is
what your critics say that you in a way
are inviting China to react in the way
that it is building trust is something
that is needed but I think I have been
president of this place for more than
three years
I have been rather reasonable in terms
of managing our relations with China and
and we have refrained from doing things
that make me considered provocative to
China and and we have been adopting this
approach of maintaining status quo
despite that there are so many pressures
so much pressure here that we should go
further but in the last for more than
three years we have been telling the
China that maintain a status quo remain
to be our policy but and I think that is
a very friendly a gesture to China
you've spoken about the rising threat
from China how serious in your view is
the risk of war today you cannot exclude
the possibility of a war at any time but
the thing is you have to get yourself
prepared and and and develop the ability
to defend yourself but in addition to
this military preparedness I mean what
it's more important is that you have to
get international support for your cause
so we have been adopting this this
attitude of non-publication
because we don't want to be the party
that is provoking the other side and
make the situation worse or giving the
other side the excuse to take whatever
action they want to take and to a
certain extent we're rather mild in our
response to in our view their
provocative actions and is Taiwan ready
to defend itself do you believe you
would be able to stand up to military
action we have been trying very hard
and making a lot of efforts to
strengthen our capability I do think we
have a pretty decent capability here in
invading Taiwan is something that is
going to be very costly for China and
are you confident that were that
worst-case scenario to arrive that the
United States would come to your aid
look we have been working with our
friends in the region so that we have a
coordinating their efforts who maintain
peace and stability in the region so
what we intend to do is to continue our
efforts with them so that peace and
stability can be maintained and as you
take this stance and shift away from
China's fear of influence and and try to
build alliances and strengthen your
alliance with with America some people
would say where's the real diffident
still no sign of a free trade agreement
with the United States that seems as far
off as ever the possibility of losing
some of these economic ties with China
is it as it punishes you for your stance
is that there a risk that the result of
all of this will be economic harm well a
time at a time of change there's always
rest and also challenges but
opportunities as well I think so far
we're being okay in the sense that we
utilize this situation through our
benefits so because of these changes we
are given actually a lot of
opportunities I can give you an example
I mean with this tree conflict between
China and the US a lot of our investors
in China are now coming back to Taiwan
which is something you're encouraging I
think yes and and we encouraged them to
come back so when they come back and
establishing their capability here is is
it's all state of the art and also
higher-end
manufacturing capability and it would
bring this that sort of the momentum for
our economic growth
for the next stage you've broken the
mold in many regards in particular for
example your success in getting through
the marriage equality Act hugely
symbolic do you see that as it perhaps
in the end your biggest legacy no I I
think I have done quite a few things
that people will eventually realize that
it's good for the country
for instance the pension reform which of
course was a very painful process to go
through and of course the Sensex
marriage issue is something initially a
very divisive here but again we went
through a very painful process to get
there and then we're trying to do a lot
of thing to reform the judiciary here to
make the system more credible and green
energy is something we have a place a
lot of the absences I mean and how
should people measure your success in
four years time what's your vision I
want to make this place more democratic
and also in terms of economy will be
much more competitive economic players
in the world we have been doing quite a
few things which eventually would make
Taiwan the most progressive country in
Asia abolition of the death penalty that
is a difficult issue to deal with the
one you'd support well that is perhaps a
go that people always want to achieve
but the but until people have enough
confidence and feel comfortable at what
is I don't think we will be able to get
enough support for that move presidents
I thank you very much for talking to me
I really appreciate it thank you very
much
you
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