On the night before Lunar New Year’s Eve, President Lai Ching-te wished his fellow citizens a happy Year of the Snake via video. In his recorded remarks, President Lai thanked Taiwan’s citizens for their hard work over the past year, helping Taiwan continue to progress and develop, as well as play an even more important role on the global stage.

On the afternoon of January 23, President Lai Ching-te presided over the third meeting of the National Climate Change Committee. In his opening statement, the president indicated that members of the administration had put forward a draft proposal for the meeting which would set Taiwan’s new 2032 and 2035 emissions reduction targets of 32±2 percent and 38±2 percent, respectively, compared with 2005.

President Lai Ching-te said Jan. 20 during the first internal briefing of the year at the Ministry of the Interior National Police Agency that the government is working hard to crack down on criminal activity, ensure social order and protect people.

Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim said Jan. 11 that the government is sparing no effort in developing artificial intelligence and related technological applications to ensure a more competitive future for Taiwan’s next generations.

President Lai Ching-te said Jan. 3 that he is committed to building Taiwan into an artificial intelligence hub and achieving a balanced, resilient and healthy society.

On the morning of January 1, President Lai Ching-te delivered his 2025 New Year’s Address, titled “Bolstering National Strength through Democracy to Enter a New Global Landscape,” in the Reception Hall of the Presidential Office. President Lai stated that today’s Taiwan is receiving international recognition for its performance in many areas, among them democracy, technology, and economy. In this new year, he said, Taiwan must be united, and we must continue on the right course.

On the afternoon of December 26, President Lai Ching-te presided over the second meeting of the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee.

On the afternoon of December 22, President Lai Ching-te attended the 2024 Presidential Hackathon awards ceremony. In remarks, President Lai praised the winning teams for proposing innovative solutions in the areas of health promotion and digital and net-zero development.

Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim said Dec. 10 that Taiwan is committed to working with global partners to promote international order based on the rule of law.

On the morning of December 10, President Lai Ching-te presented the 2024 Asia Democracy and Human Rights Award to Bangladesh-based human rights organization Odhikar. In his remarks, President Lai recognized Odhikar’s dedication to promoting the human and political rights of the citizens of Bangladesh and courageously forging ahead in the pursuit of democracy and human rights. The president emphasized that defending democracy requires all the strength we can muster. He stated that the government