‘City upon a hill’: Why Taiwan’s President quoted the Bible in his national day speech
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te used his National Day speech to invoke biblical imagery, describing Taiwan as a 'city upon a hill' to signal democratic resilience. Analysts suggest the rhetoric was a strategic message aimed at strengthening ties with the United States amidst regional tensions with China.
Why it matters
The use of specific diplomatic language by Taiwan's leadership reflects the island's ongoing efforts to align its democratic identity with Western values to deter geopolitical pressure.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te gesturing while delivering a speech during national day celebrations in front of the presidential office in Taipei on Oct 10.
Listen Summarise Taiwan President Lai Ching-te used his National Day speech to praise Taiwan and call it a “city upon a hill”, “salt” and “light”, with analysts saying the message was aimed at Washington. Lai linked Taiwan’s democracy and self-defence to peace in the Indo-Pacific, while defending higher defence spending against China’s “grey-zone” pressure and warning that “force cannot override rules”. China criticised the speech, but US officials welcomed Lai’s peace message. Most of the speech focused on domestic issues and the coming local elections. AI generated
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