On February 6, an earthquake struck our beautiful Hualien. In the recent earthquake, nine tourists from mainland China perished. As I've said before, when it comes to humanitarian aid, there's no gap between the two sides of the strait. We did everything we possibly could. We share the grief of the victims' families, and hope that in the new year, their wounds will begin to heal, and they'll find a measure of peace.
The Lunar New Year is the most important holiday of the year on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. We have very similar traditional customs that run from New Year's Eve and New Year's Day through the Lantern Festival. People-to-people contacts and media reports also help bridge the gap. So here, I want to wish our friends on the mainland side and ethnic Chinese around the world a happy Lunar New Year.
【Source: Office of the President】