March 19, 2018
Minister without Portfolio Lo, Deputy Minister Lin, Deputy Minister Chang, Deputy Minister Chiu, Fellow Colleagues at the Mainland Affairs Council and the Straits Exchange Foundation, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen from the Media, Good morning:
I am deeply honored to have this opportunity to again serve as Minister of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC). It was about this same time 11 years ago that I first took up the baton as Minister of the MAC. At the time, I said that this position is an extremely important responsibility that concerns the families, lives, and property security of the 23 million people of Taiwan. Today, I resume this heavy responsibility with the same mindset. I pledge to my fellow countrymen that, under the leadership of President Tsai and Premier Lai, I will dedicate my entire energy to public affairs, formulate and promote cross-Strait policies, and make every effort to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait so that people from all walks of life and vocations can all live in peace, work happily, and grow rich.
I have said privately before that I visited the Mainland before serving as MAC Minister and that, among former ministers of the MAC, have made the most such trips. In the 28 years since I first arrived in Beijing in 1991 for overseas research, I have traveled throughout mainland China and witnessed earthshaking changes there. I have also made countless friends. Once strangers, we came to know each other well. Our mutual debates turned into calm and sensible discussions on different topics. We could then put ourselves in the other's shoes, show empathy, and set aside differences to seek common ground. These invaluable experiences will become sources of wisdom in my future work to build harmonious cross-Strait relations, promote cross-Strait peace, and pursue coexistence and co-prosperity.
Finally, I wish you all good health, happiness, peace, and success Thank you!