Lai Ching-te’s Rabbit of the Year

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^{It’s just around the Corner (click photo for source)}

Lai said that facing an international climate that wasn’t good, changes in local politics and the threats of authoritarianism, the country, the government, individuals and companies could all display the wisdom of the rabbit. That would surely help to overcome an unpromising outset and turn it into a lucky process, to get through difficult times and for the people  to lead better lives.
國家、政府、個人、公司都可以學習發揮兔子的智慧，必定可逢凶化吉、度過難關，也讓人民過更好的生活。
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Vice President Lai said among the twelve zodiac animals, the rabbit ranked fourth. It belonged to the 4th eartly branch. So this is the beginning of the day, full of hope. This was the hopeful year of the rabbit, the festival was symbolized by the character for “Spring”, and one could look forward to saying Goodbye to things that hadn’t worked as one wished for, and to hope for a prosperous year for everyone.

賴副總統說，兔子的生肖排名第4，在地支屬卯，時辰是一天的開始，也是充滿希望。今年是充滿希望的兔年，節慶則對應「春」字，期盼揮別以往的不如意，希望今年大家都興旺。

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Related

Learn from the Rabbit’s Wisdom, RTI, January 23, 2023
Lai Ching-te, Wikipedia, accessed Jan 27, 2023

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Some Porridge, some Rice: China’s New Normal?

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Xi Jinping’s new year address for 2023 has been flowery as usual, but it also comes with some frugal characteristics. If it is such great news that China has maintained its position as the world’s second-largest economy, times must be tough indeed, especially when you take into consideration that (according to China’s propaganda) the world’s biggest economy, i. e. America, has gone to hell in a basket. If they are still bigger than China now, where is China?

According to the great helmsman, China has “blown the trumpet to signal the brave beginning of a new journey” (吹响了奋进新征程的时代号角), with “stable and steady economic development” (stable and steady probably referring to the lowest growth numbers since the last years of Mao Zedong’s reign), a 19th consecutive bumper harvest this year (十九连丰), and “the consolidation of achievements made in shedding poverty”  (我们巩固脱贫攻坚成果). —Corrections, Jan 27^*)

How green is our motherland? (Source: Beijing News, Dec 31, 2022)

With the Scarce Resources always on your Mind

Generally, Chinese propaganda points out that its 19th bumper harvest in a row has been achieved while the world had been facing a food crisis. That’s not a big deal when you consider that Russia hasn’t blocked China’s northeastern provinces from the rest of the country, but it may be considered an invitation to the Chinese public to cherish self-sufficiency.

As for the “new phase of pandemic prevention and control now entered” by China, Xi doesn’t wade into the details, and just sees the light – or the dawn of a new era – ahead (目前，疫情防控进入新阶段，仍是吃劲的时候，大家都在坚忍不拔努力，曙光就在前头).
The lines closest to Xi’s heart – if the communist faith he’s wearing on his sleeves is real – are probably these:

After the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party I and other colleagues went to Yan’an together, to renew what we had learned about the magnificent years when the Party’s Central Committee prevailed over difficulties rarely seen over generations and to appreciate the spiritual strength of the old generation of communists. I frequently say that difficulties and deprivation only perfect the jade. The Communist Party of China’s past one-hundred years have been hard work in the open regardless of the weather, cutting their way through thistles and thorns,  – how difficult and great the journey has been. We want to advance further, keep struggling, and make tomorrow’s China even better.
党的二十大后我和同事们一起去了延安，重温党中央在延安时期战胜世所罕见困难的光辉岁月，感悟老一辈共产党人的精神力量。我常说，艰难困苦，玉汝于成。中国共产党百年栉风沐雨、披荆斩棘，历程何其艰辛又何其伟大。我们要一往无前、顽强拼搏，让明天的中国更美好。

Both China’s economic plans and its “great-power diplomacy” appear to be in some trouble. As for China’s economy, it would take a real lot of innovation to catch up with the ageing of society. And China’s “great-power diplomacy” (大国外交), although re-iterated by Xi in another new-year address one day ealier, to a meeting of the Chinese People’s Consultative Conference on December 30th, appears to have fed its wolf-warriors some chalk. For now, that is.

There is no reason to believe that China has given up on “replacing” America, or on other major goals, “core interests” and what have you. But the CPC leaders are revisiting and reassessing the foundations of their power. The emphasis on food security suggests that self-sufficiency in that field will always be a priority – China doesn’t only distrust the sealanes, it also distrusts its immediate neighbors. And if America’s restrictions on chip and chip-manufacturing equipment supplies to China find international support and cooperation, China’s growth plans will probably need to be postponed.

When enumerating China’s moderate successes to Chinese People’s Consultative Conference members, Xi emphasized that those successes hadn’t been “easy to achieve” or “easy to come by” (来之不易). That term is linked to a proverb about man’s most basic needs, i. e. food and clothing. My try at a translation:

Some porridge and rice aren’t easy to come by,half a silk or cotton thread, permanently bear in mind how scarce are your resources.
一粥一饭，当思来处不易；半丝半缕，恒念物力维艰

That’s also where China’s grassroot propaganda – in the shape of newspapers more prominent than, say, “People’s Daily” – is taking us as it picks up Xi’s reference to the latest bumper harvest: to the countryside. Here, too, none of the bumper harvests has been “easy to come by”. The proverb didn’t feature prominently in politics articles before the end of December, while it was popular in all other kinds of (less basic-need-related) online articles or comments. Now, it is represents the flavor of the new era.

To help the readers understand the significance of this year’s output, his attention is drawn to a number of natural disasters.

Delicious Meat then, Tough Bones now

How planned are China’s readjustments? The new “cold war” China keeps warning us of may not have been intended by Beijing, but it was provoked by Beijing.

Either way, tough times have occasionally been predicted by China’s propaganda before, and by its supreme mouth not least. In February 2014, Xi Jinping told Russian television that

After 30 years of reform, China has entered the deep water [or blue water], and all the pleasant reforms have been completed. The delicious meat has been eaten, and what is still on the dishes are rather tough bones. This requires our courage, and steady moves. Courage means to push reform even when it is difficult, and to prove worthy, to tackle the hard bones, and to enter dangerous shoals. Steadiness is about keeping to the accurate direction, driving steadily, and, above all, to avoid disruptive mistakes.

The Russians must have been an understanding audience. Now, eight years later, Xi needs to find out how understanding the Chinese are.
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Notes

^*) Corrected – previous text:
… and “the consolidation of hard-earned achievements made in previous difficult missions” (我们巩固脱贫攻坚成果)
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SARS-Covid Outbreak: a Meeting with Experts and Entrepreneurs

While the Shanghai lockdown (which must not be called a lockdown) continued, China’s state council held a meeting “with experts and entrepreneurs” on Thursday, to “analyse economic conditions and hear ideas and suggestions about the next steps”, Xinhua news agency reported on Friday. Li Keqiang chaired the meeting in his capacities as member of the CPC politburo standing committee and as chief state councillor.

Main Link

Also attending were people representing China Railway Materials and Qingdao AInnovation  Technology company, stating their opinions about economic operation, company situations etc., and making suggestions about safeguarding logistics and rural capital provisions, and about promoting entrepreneurial innovation.

Mentioned as participants were deputy chief state councillor Han Zheng, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences researcher Yang Zhiyong, Bank of China researcher Guan Tao, and, as party of state officials, Hu Chunhua (politburo member and deputy chief state councillor), Liu He (same functions as Hu), Wang Yong (former SASAC chairman, now a member of the state council in charge of issues faced by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Xiao Jie (member of the state council and Secretary General of the State Council), Zhao Kezhi (Party Committee Secretary of the Ministry of Public Security and heading the ministry as member of the state council), and He Lifeng (member of the state council in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission, NDRC).

Xinwen Lianbo, April 8, 2022, evening broadcast

You can probably imagine the importance of Zhao Kezhi’s attendance in the context of the meeting’s hardly-mentioned real topic – but it makes sense to take note of every participant mentioned in communiqués like this one by Xinhua. Their tasks may speak greater volumes than the description of the agenda.

It needs to be said that the article doesn’t exactly emphasize China’s current SARS-Covid outbreak – it is only “casually” mentioned, as one of a number of suddenly emerging factors in international and domestic environment that are confronting the economy with greater uncertainties and challenges.

The obligatory reference to Comrade Xi Jinping is made at the beginning,  although it is technically meaningless. It may, however, indicate the limits of what participants may describe or suggest during such a meeting, and also, you have to mention Xi anyway. With reference to the “sudden domestic Covid outbreak situation” (国内疫情近期多发), a need both  to keep up the faith and to face up to the difficulties is emphasized. More generally, “high-quality development” is restated, and so is a need to deepen reform and individual initiative, and “a flexibility in accepting the challenges” (应变克难). Focus is also given to stable growth, stable employment and stable prices (稳就业, 稳物价).

Li pointed out problems faced particularly by SMEs and self-employed workers & business people. Help and support them pass through the crisis is mentioned, some concrete measures too, but without detailed outlines. Concrete measures are an utmost pace by which to handle VAT rebates, and to make funds arrive at the accounts of those in need.

The primary sector is required to provide ample harvests (farming) and advanced coal production capacities (energy), and “marketization, rule of law and internationalization” are also given a mention.

The meeting ranked fourth as a news item in China’s main evening news broadcast of Xinwen Lianbo” today, after an “important speech” given by Xi Jinping at the end of the Paralympics, a reference to an editorial about the “spirit of the Beijing Olympics”, and news about a telephone conversation between Xi Jinping and the president of the Philippines.

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Ambassador Cui Tiankai returns to China

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Main Link: Ambassador to the U.S. Cui Tiankai’s farewell message of deep feelings towards countrymen abroad ( 中国驻美大使崔天凯辞别侨胞深情寄语 )

Xinhua Newsagency, Washington, June 22 report. Cui Tiankai, having served as China’s ambassador to America for more than eight years, published a “farewell letter to all countrymen in America”, thanking the numerous countrymen in America for the care and support they had shown for his work. He also expressed his trust that they would continue to make active contributions to the promotion Chinese-U.S. relations that would develop in a healthy and stable way.

新华社华盛顿6月22日电 担任中国驻美大使8年有余的崔天凯21日在使馆网站发表《致全美侨胞的辞别信》，衷心感谢广大在美华侨华人对他工作的关心和支持，并寄语他们继续为促进中美关系健康稳定发展作出积极贡献。

Cui Tiankai said that from April 2013 until now, the more than eight years he had worked in America had passed in a blink of an eye. He would soon leave to return to China. “This was the longest term abroad in my career, allowing me to experience many historically significant events, getting to know enthusiastic and amicable friends, and leaving me with many unforgettable memories for life.”

崔天凯说，自2013年4月至今，他转眼在美国工作已8年有余，将于近日离任回国，“这是我外交生涯中最长的一次驻外任期，让我经历了很多具有历史意义的事件，结识了很多热情友好的朋友，也给我留下了很多终身难忘的记忆”。

He highly praised the countrymen living abroad, with emotional ties to their homeland, making unremitting efforts to promote mutually beneficial cooperation and connections of popular sentiments between China and the U.S., firmly speaking out for the unification of the motherland and the defense of national dignity. “I will always cherish the profound friendships I have built with all of you countrymen during my diplomatic mission in America.”

他高度赞扬侨胞们身居海外，情系桑梓，为促进中美互利合作和民心相通不懈努力，为促进祖国统一、捍卫民族尊严坚定发声，“我将永远珍惜出使美国期间与各位侨胞结下的深厚友谊”。

Cui Tiankai pointed out that during the 42 years that passed since the establishment of Chinese-U.S. relations, the two countries had achieved historic successes, and their interests had long become inseparably interconnected. By blending Chinese and Western advantages together, Chinese countrymen in America had long become envoys of people-to-people friendship and association. Chinese-American relations were currently at a critical juncture. American policies towards China were being restructured, facing a choice between dialog and cooperation or confrontation and clashes.

崔天凯指出，中美建交42年来，两国关系取得历史性成就，两国利益早已紧密交融。在美侨胞一直以融贯中西的优势，成为中美友好交往的民间使者。当前中美关系正处在关键十字路口，美国对华政策正经历新一轮重构，面临在对话合作和对抗冲突之间作出选择。

He said: “At this very moment, countrymen in America are shouldering a major responsibility and mission. I hope you will continue to be firm promoters of and contributors to healthy and stable development of Chinese-American relations, setting out from safeguarding your personal rights to exist and develop in America, setting out from protecting the fundamental benefits of our two countries’ peoples, setting out from the promotion of global peace and stability.”

他说：“此时此刻，在美侨胞肩负着更加重大的责任和使命，希望你们从捍卫自身在美生存和发展权益出发，从维护中美两国人民根本利益出发，从促进世界和平稳定和繁荣出发，继续做中美关系健康稳定发展的坚定促进者和积极贡献者。”

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Related

Keep it simple, June 24, 2011
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Earthly Miracles and Stable Expectations

Just a look at a few headlines, mostly “NPC”-session-related, more or less.

“On its own” – former East German SED paper “Junge Welt”
marvels at socialism with Chinese characteristics

1. Creating and overcoming poverty

Xi Jinping declared victory in the fight against poverty on December 4 last year, writes David Bandurski of the China Media Project (CMP), but also quotes voices that consider Xi’s declaration premature, based on previous “poverty creation”, and the “victory” itself to be possibly unsustainable.

It’s all about the Xi himself, CMP concludes, citing an example from China’s English-language propaganda, and the earthly miracles (人间奇迹) he is doing.

2. State Council’s economic policies

China’s authorities will stick to the “six stabilities” and “six guarantees”, and “put employment first”, chief state councillor Li Keqiang told an international press conference on Thursday afternoon local time. China’s “premiers” traditionally do Q &A with the press once a year, in the wake of the annual “National People’s Congress” sessions.

The “six stabilities” (六稳) include stable employment (稳就业), stable finance (稳金融), stable foreign trade (稳外贸), stable foreign investment (稳外资), stable investment (稳投资 – that would be domestic, it seems), and stable expectations (稳预期).

The “six guarantees” (六保) are about ensuring employment among residents (保居民就业), the people’s basic livelihood (保基本民生), the market as the main part (保市场主体), food and energy security (保粮食能源安全), supply chain stability (保产业链供应链稳定) and grassroots operations  (保基层运转, meaning authorities and measures taken at or near the grassroots level).

While the “six stabilities” state domestic and foreign investment all in a row, Li confirmed the main role for the “domestic cycle as the main body” (国内大循环为主体) of a “dual circulation” system as he answered a question from Singapore’s “Lianhe Zaobao” correspondent. Rather than committing China’s leadership, Li quoted an unspecified entrepreneur as saying that to grasp the domestic cycle meant to develop the domestic market further, and that to grasp the “dual circulation” meant to develop the international markets further, and both markets could still open access.

我在代表团讨论的时候，一位企业家说，抓住内循环就是要开拓国内市场，抓住双循环就是要开拓国际市场，两个市场还可以打通。他说得很朴实，但言简意赅。

3. Quote of the Month

Radio has no memory.

Except yours and mine. Just like Jonathan Marks, I taped many radio broadcasts, and occasionally, I’m digitalizing bits of it. Systematically, but very slowly. It’s going to take years.

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Obituary: Li Wenliang, 1986 – 2020

One would like to deny it, but even the crudest of propaganda will leave tireless traces on the hard disks of generations. This defines the way Li Wenliang (李文亮), an eye doctor at Wuhan Central Hospital at his lifetime, will be collectively remembered – as a hero who served the people, not as a serious professional.

His death is a calamity, and so is the way he is going to live on in the people’s memory. The authorities didn’t see him in a position to do his job, unhampered by politics. The CCP can’t deal with professional attitudes – to the leadership and its fat cats at the grassroots, ordinary Chinese people are always children, and daddy (or stepdaddy) always knows better. And of course, only daddy must ever excel at his job – be it running the economy, be it running “vocational schools” for alleged “extremists” in Xinjiang, or be it handing down “instructions on how to handle the epidemic”.

Now, Li’s death is becoming a didactic play that flies into the face of the geniuses in Zhongnanhai. Not everything was wrong with the system. A month after Li had been reprimanded for going public (i. e. on the internet) with his medical findings, the Supreme People’s Court reportedly said that “[i]t might have been a fortunate thing if the public had believed the ‘rumors’ then and started to wear masks and carry out sanitization measures, and avoid the wild animal market.”

The unfortunate thing is that the People’s Court’s utterances come across as a try to defuse a dangerous idol – some kind of uncontrollable modernized Lei Feng, conceived and created outside the CPC’s laboratories. He isn’t a marginal idol – even CCTV is sobbing (supposedly, not only outside the Great Firewall of China).

Still, Zhongnanhai may continue to sleep well behind its firewalls. Not even “Sound of Hope”, a Falun-Gong affiliated radio station, appears to find much criticism of the central leadership online, be it because the usual screenplay – idiots at the grassroots, wise leaders at the top – is still effective, be it because the censors are doing a great job.

Li is reportedly survived by his pregnant wife and one child.

Li Wenliang, born in Liaoning Province on October 12, 1986, died in Hubei Province on February 6 or 7, 2020.

CCTV News, Oct 12: High-Quality Employment

The following is a translation of a news item from CCTV‘s 19:00 h flagship newscast “Xinwen Lianbo”, titled Efforts in many fields for the steady realization of high-quality employment (多领域发力 稳步实现高质量就业, main link).

The statistics should be taken with some salt – there isn’t much reason to believe that Xi Jinping‘s “new era” (spelling higher pressure on regional and local officials to deliver victorious results) whould come with more accurate numbers than in the previous decade of collective leadership. However, the reports are probably not completely out of tune with daily lives either, because that would make for rather inefficient propaganda.

While CCTV apparently authored the news item, other websites have republished it, including that of the Chinese state council and Sina.com.

This news item came after coverage on Xi Jinping’s visit to India and his talks with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi (items 1 and 2), and Li Keqiang chairing a session of the national energy commission (item 3).

It was then followed (and ideologically complemented) by news about cultural activities in all regions to promote “patriotism” (item 5), young students striving to become “keepers of the dream of national rejuvenation” (item 6), and visiting students from Hong Kong experiencing the great era and merging into national development (item 7).

Familiar approach: “help companies’ rapid development – tax reductions set them free” – click photo for video

Xinwen Lianbo — Employment is the biggest livelihood of the people. From January to August this year, 9.84 million new jobs have been added at city and town levels, thus arriving at nearly ninety percent of the planned number this year. Behind the generally stable employment situation is increased employment quality and a richer development scene.

央视网消息（新闻联播）：就业是最大的民生。今年1至8月，我国城镇新增就业984万人，完成了全年计划的近九成，就业形势整体稳定的背后，是就业更高质量、更充分发展的新图景。

As night falls, tourists in Yichang, Hubei Province, prepare to board a pleasure boat for a night trip on the Yangtze River.

夜幕降临，在湖北宜昌，游客们准备登游轮夜游长江。

One of the Yangtze nighttime travelling project’s features is that it has added two-hundred new jobs. A mountain light show put up by Hengpocun village at Pingyao, Shanxi Province, has not only kept all villagers from idling, but has also brought more than three-hundred villagers from peripheral villages into employment, too. The number of entities taking part in the Jiangnan¹⁾ “evening economy” has reached ten-thousand households and has brought more than 11,000 people into work.

宜昌一个长江夜游项目的推出，就增加了近200个就业岗位；山西平遥横坡村布设的山间灯光展，不仅让全村无闲人，还带动周边村庄300多人就业；济南参与“夜间经济”的市场主体达到1万户，带动就业超过11,000人。

The newly developing economy’s vitality broadens the scale of employment. The emergence of new industries and the upgradings of traditional ones create more high-class and more high-quality employment opportunities.

新兴经济的活力源，扩大着就业规模。而新产业的出现和传统产业的升级，创造着更多高层次和更高质量就业机会。

In a warehouse at Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, mechanical arm operator Wang Feifei runs about a dozen mechanical arms as scheduled. Once a manual worker packing the warehouse’s outgoing goods, the company’s production line mechanization upgrades have helped him to discover job upgrading opportunities, too. By taking part in training courses, he didn’t only rise from a worker’s position to that of an engineer, but his payment has also risen by nearly 40 percent.

在浙江嘉兴1的一家物流仓库，机械臂操作师王飞飞操纵着十几台机械臂有序忙碌着。曾经作为人工出库打包员的他，企业生产线的机械化升级，让他也发现了职业升级的机会。通过参加培训，他不仅从普通工人升级为了工程师，工资也增长了近40%。

Nowadays, more manpower is moving from traditional industries to the internet and digital economy, as well as to other new industries. The China Academy of Information and Communications Technology‘s (CAICT) “2019 China Digital Economy Development and Employment White Paper” shows that in 2018, China’s digital economy’s job number was at 191 million, with an increase widely above that of the overall number of newly created jobs nation-wide. A list published by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social security this year includes thirteen new professions, supporting people who are looking for more valuable and more personalized professional development.

如今，更多的劳动力从传统产业中转移出来，向互联网、数字经济等新行业发展。中国信息通信研究院发布的《中国数字经济发展与就业白皮书（2019年）》3显示，2018年中国数字经济领域就业岗位为1.91亿个，增速大大高于同期全国总就业规模增速。人社部今年公布了一张包含13个新职业的榜单，支持人们寻求更高价值、个性化职业发展。

Since this year, the state, by implementing more ample and more high-quality employment policies, has sustained pressure and compacting. To strengthen technical skills, 100 billion Yuan have been taken from unemployment insurance fund surpluses, to carry out skills upgrades and vocational retraining with a focus on university students, migrant workers and other key communities. Accurate classification and assistance in finding jobs, job security, universally beneficial tax cuts and non-wage labor cost reductions as well as other “burden reduction” measures have helped enterprises in keeping up their strength in creating jobs.

今年以来国家把实现更加充分、更高质量就业的政策持续压紧压实。强技能，国家从失业保险基金结余中拿出1000亿元实施职工技能提升和转岗转业培训；瞄重点，聚焦大学生、农民工等重点群体，精准分类，帮扶就业；稳岗位，实行普惠性减税、社保费率降低等一系列 “减负”措施，让企业就业承载力强。

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Notes

¹⁾ The actual CCTV script says “Jinan” (济南), which would be Shandong Province’s capital. This is probably a typo and should spell “Jiangnan”, i. e. the region south of the Yangze under this name.

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Related

Li Keqiang’s consolation tour, Febr 4, 2017
Li Keqiang visiting the poor, Febr 14, 2015

Tsai Ing-wen: “We do not provoke, but we uphold our Principles”

The following  is my off-the-cuff translation of a statement made by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen this afternoon, in response to remarks made by Chinese State Chairman Xi Jinping earlier today (all local time). This translation may contain errors.

One expression has remained untranslated; it had apparently been used by Xi Jinping earlier, and I don’t know its meaning – 心灵契合.

udn video (聯合影音), Jan 2, 2018

Main Link: President answers to Xi Jinping’s Remarks (full text), published by Radio Taiwan International (RTI)

After Chinese State Chairman Xi Jinping’s remarks on the 40th anniversary of the “Message of Compatriots in Taiwan” [on January 1, 1979], President Tsai Ing-wen answered personally, at the presidential palace, this afternoon (January 2). The wording is as follows:

在中國國家主席習近平發表「告台灣同胞書」40週年的紀念談話後，蔡英文總統今天(2日)下午也親自在總統府做出回應，全文如下:

Compatriots, friends from the media, good afternoon to everyone.

國人同胞，各位媒體朋友，大家午安。

This morning, Chinese State Chairman Xi Jinping made a so-called “Message of Compatriots in Taiwan” 40th-anniversary speech, proposing a one-country-two-systems plan and related content for Taiwan. As President of the Republic of China, I would like to explain our position concerning this matter.

今天上午，中國國家主席習近平，發表了所謂《告台灣同胞書》40 週年的紀念談話，提出了探索一國兩制台灣方案等相關內容，身為中華民國的總統，我要在此說明我們的立場。

First of all, I must seriously point out that we have never accepted a “92 consensus”. The basic reason is that this is a “92 consensus” defined by the authorities in Beijing. In fact, it just means “one China” and “one country, two systems”. What the leader on the other side of the Taiwan Strait said today has confirmed our misgivings. From here, I want to reiterate that Taiwan will not accept “one country, two systems”, and the overwhelming majority of Taiwanese public opinion also resolutely opposes “one country, two systems”, and this is also the “Taiwan consensus”.

首先，我必須要鄭重指出，我們始終未接受「九二共識」，根本的原因就是北京當局所定義的「九二共識」，其實就是「一個中國」、「一國兩制」。今天對岸領導人的談話，證實了我們的疑慮。在這裡，我要重申，台灣絕不會接受「一國兩制」，絕大多數台灣民意也堅決反對「一國兩制」，而這也是「台灣共識」。

Next, we are willing to sit down and talk, but as a democratic country, any political consultations and talks touching upon cross-strait relations must be authorized and supervised by the people of Taiwan, and conducted in a government-to-government mode. Under this principle, there are no people, no organizations who would have the authority to represent the Taiwanese people in political consultations.

其次，我們願意坐下來談，但作為民主國家，凡是涉及兩岸間的政治協商、談判，都必須經過台灣人民的授權與監督，並且經由兩岸以政府對政府的模式來進行。在這個原則之下，沒有任何人、任何團體，有權力代表台灣人民去進行政治協商。

The development of cross-strait relations – I said that very clearly in my new-year remarks yesterday – is that China must face up to the existing facts of the Republic of China on Taiwan rather than deny the democratic state system the people of Taiwan jointly established. Secondly, they must respect the adherence of the people of 23 million to freedom and democracy, and must not intervene in the Taiwanese people’s choices in a splitting and luring manner.

兩岸關係的發展，我在昨天的新年談話，說得很清楚，那就是中國必須正視中華民國台灣存在的事實，而不是否定台灣人民共同建立的民主國家體制；第二，必須尊重兩千三百萬人民對自由民主的堅持，而不是以分化、利誘的方式，介入台灣人民的選擇；

Thirdly, there is a need to handle the differences between the two sides in a peaceful manner among equals, instead of using pressure and threats in attempts to  make the Taiwanese yield. Fourthly, it has to be governments or legal mechanisms authorized by the governments who sit down to talk. Consultations unauthorized and unsupervised by the people cannot be considered “democratic consultations”. This is Taiwan’s position and the democratic position.

第三，必須以和平對等的方式來處理雙方之間的歧異，而不是用打壓、威嚇，企圖讓台灣人屈服；第四，必須是政府或政府所授權的公權力機構，坐下來談，任何沒有經過人民授權、監督的政治協商，都不能稱作是「民主協商」。這就是台灣的立場，就是民主的立場。

We are willing to conduct orderly and healthy cross-strait exchange on the foundations of “democratic consolidation” and “strengthening national security”. I would also like to reiterate that we must urgently establish a three-lane protection network for the safety of people’s livelihood, information security, and institutionalized democratic supervision mechanisms.

我們願意在「鞏固民主」以及「強化國家安全」基礎上，進行有秩序的、健康的兩岸交流，我也要重申，國內亟需要建立兩岸交流的三道防護網，也就是民生安全、資訊安全以及制度化的民主監督機制。

Cross-strait trade should be mutually beneficial, for both sides to prosper. However, we oppose the economic united front with Beijing’s method of “using gain as a lure”, with “benefiting only China” at the center, attracting Taiwanese technology, capital and talent “going to the mainland”. With all our efforts, we will promote the strategies and measures of “strengthening Taiwan”, consolidate Taiwan’s economic development route as the priority.

兩岸經貿應該互惠互利，共榮發展；但我們反對北京以「利中」為核心，以利誘及吸引台灣技術、資本及人才「走進中國大陸」的經濟統戰。我們將全力推動「壯大台灣」的各項策略跟措施，鞏固以台灣為主體、台灣優先的經濟發展路線。

Over the past two years, has carefully met its obligations as a member of the region, and actively contributed to cross-strait and regional peace and stability. We do not provoke, but we uphold our principles. We have endured pressure, but we have never abandoned our basic positions and promises concerning cross-strait relations. I would like to remind the Beijing authorities that big countries must act as big countries, with the responsibility of big countries, and that the international community is watching if there is change in China or not, and if it can turn into a partner who obtains trust. The “four musts” are the most basic and crucial basis on which cross-strait relations [must show if they] will or will not move towards positive development.

過去兩年來，台灣善盡區域成員的義務，積極貢獻於兩岸及區域的和平穩定。我們不挑釁，但堅持原則，我們飽受各種打壓，但我們從未放棄對兩岸關係的基本立場與承諾。我要提醒北京當局，大國必須要有大國的格局，大國的責任，國際社會也正看著中國能不能有所改變，成為受到信任的夥伴。「四個必須」正是兩岸關係能否朝向正面發展，最基本、也最關鍵的基礎。

The so-called 心灵契合 must be established on mutual respect and understanding, and on pragmatic handling on both sides of issues concerning the welfare of the people. For example, the most urgent issue of swine fever. Pressure on international companies to altering Taiwan’s name can’t bring about 心灵契合, buying Taiwan’s diplomatic allies won’t 心灵契合 either, and nor will military aircraft, warships that rotate around.

所謂的心靈契合，應該是建立在彼此的相互尊重與理解，建立在兩岸政府務實處理有關人民福祉的問題上。例如，眼前十萬火急的豬瘟疫情。施壓國際企業塗改台灣的名稱，不會帶來心靈契合；買走台灣的邦交國，也不會帶來心靈契合；軍機、軍艦的繞台，更不會帶來心靈契合。

Finally, I would like to reiterate that the nine-in-one regional elections that Taiwan’s grassroots public opinion would abandon sovereignty, or concessions concerning Taiwan.

最後，我要重申，九合一地方選舉的結果，絕不代表台灣基層的民意要放棄主權，也不代表在台灣主體性上做出退讓。

Democratic values are values and a way of life cherished by the people of Taiwan, and we call on China to bravely enter the democratic road. Only by doing so, they can really understand the Taiwanese peoples’ mindset and perseverance. Thank you.

民主價值是台灣人民所珍惜的價值與生活方式，我們也呼籲中國，勇敢踏出民主的腳步，也唯有如此，才能真正理解台灣人的想法與堅持。謝謝

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New Year Address, ROC Presidential Office, Jan 1, 2019

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