Taipei, May 20 (CNA) Premier Lin Chuan on Saturday reaffirmed his commitment to solve problems for Taiwan and pledged to continue to lead the country forward.
In a Facebook post marking his first anniversary in office, Lin said the government has been following an economic development policy that focuses on innovation, employment and distribution since its inauguration on May 20 last year.
"I've said that I took the office of premier only to solve problems," Lin said.
Lin said he has traveled to various counties and cities around the country over the past year to collect their opinions and has overcome many barriers that have impeded the implementation of related plans.
In late March, the Cabinet proposed the "forward-looking infrastructure development plan" in the hope of accelerating Taiwan's industrial transformation to enhance the country's competitiveness, he said.
The premier expressed his appreciation to lawmakers for their support, which allowed the plan to pass a committee review in the Legislative Yuan.
He also thanked his team for their hard work and the public for their criticism and advice.
"Reform has still a long way to go. Continued efforts are needed to lead Taiwan forward," he said.
President Tsai Ing-wen did not attend any public events on Saturday. A group of disadvantaged children were invited to visit the president's official residence, but the event was not open to the media.
Asked about Tsai's decision not to make any public appearances on the anniversary of her inauguration, ruling Democratic Progressive Party Secretary-General Hung Yao-fu said Tsai dislikes grandstanding and that this was her style.
"President Tsai is a doer, not a grandstander," Hung said.
But she did hold a meeting with a delegation of overseas Chinese media representatives on Friday in which she touted her administration's accomplishments and reform efforts.
She stressed that she will not give up on her desire to promote reforms despite their unpopularity, saying that public dissatisfaction with her performance, as seen in surveys conducted recently, is "a price that must be paid" for promoting reforms.
