Taiwan President Lai Ching-te quotes Bible in national day speech

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te delivered his annual national day address in front of the presidential office building in Taipei, invoking biblical American political imagery to signal solidarity with Washington while addressing domestic issues, The Straits Times reported.

The Oct. 10 national day celebrations marked the 115th anniversary of the uprising that overthrew China’s Qing dynasty and established the Republic of China, which relocated to Taiwan in 1949 after losing the Chinese civil war. Festivities featured a giant Republic of China flag measuring 12 by 18 meters flown beneath a U.S.-made Chinook helicopter over Taipei, alongside military flypasts and cultural displays, according to Reuters and Yahoo News Singapore reporting.

Lai Quotes American Exceptionalism to Seek U.S. Support

During his 25-minute address, Lai called on Taiwan to become a city upon a hill and described the island as the salt and light of the world.

The presidential office explained to Focus Taiwan that the metaphor reflected Taiwan's future aspirations, its commitment to self-defense, and its technological and economic contributions to the global community. Ding Shuh-fan, emeritus professor at National Chengchi University's College of International Affairs, told The Straits Times that the imagery was also intended to broadcast Taiwan's resolve to the wider international community.

Defense Spending and Cross-Strait Warnings Draw Beijing Rebuke

Lai used his address to defend Taiwan's record NT$1.1 trillion ($34.5 billion) defense budget for 2027, accounting for more than three percent of GDP. Yahoo News Singapore noted that successive administrations have boosted military spending to deter a potential Chinese invasion and demonstrate commitment to self-defense under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act.

Our aim by increasing investment in national defence is not to provoke, rather, it is to deter war.

President Lai Ching-te

China swiftly condemned the remarks. Zhang Han, a spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office, told China Daily that Lai disregarded facts and exposed his true colors as a pragmatic worker for Taiwan independence. Chen Xi, a spokesman for China's Ministry of National Defense, separately criticized Lai for inciting cross-strait confrontation and turning the island into a battlefield, according to China Daily. Meanwhile, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council urged Beijing to stop coercing and pressuring the island’s democratic governance.

Domestic Focus Precedes November Local Elections

Observers noted that Lai adopted a relatively restrained tone on cross-strait issues compared with previous years, avoiding controversial phrases that previously angered Beijing. Analysts told The Straits Times that approximately two-thirds of the speech focused on domestic concerns, including housing pressures, population decline, and the economy, to address voters ahead of Taiwan's upcoming November local elections.

Parliamentary speaker Han Kuo-yu emphasized at the event that the majority of Taiwanese citizens prefer peace and stable cross-strait exchanges, adding that U.S. support remains vital to the island's security, Yahoo News Singapore reported.