Sovereignty is the foundation of statehood, Lai said, adding that without Taiwan, there would be no ROC, as the ROC and Taiwan have become inseparable. Without sovereignty, there would be no democracy, he said.
Regardless of how the international community refers to the nation, all terms refer to the 23 million people of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, he said, expressing hope that efforts would be made to safeguard the nation’s sovereignty and democracy, and take care of its people. Lai also talked about Taiwan’s democratic pioneers and liberal academics — Free China’s co-founder and publisher Lei Chen, Yin Hai-kuang and Fu Cheng, who he said sought to use the idea of a “democratic China” to counter “communist China.”
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