---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We must unify Taiwan; we cannot afford to…"
description: "\"We must unify Taiwan; we cannot afford to have our society being divided in half.\" — Chen Shui-bian"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2c/chen-shui-bian-16758_afford_we-must-unify-taiwan-we-cannot-afford-to_2968268.jpg"
---

#  We must unify Taiwan; we cannot afford to have our society…

![“We must unify Taiwan; we cannot afford to have our society being divided in half.” quote by Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2c/chen-shui-bian-16758_afford_we-must-unify-taiwan-we-cannot-afford-to_2968268.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2c/chen-shui-bian-16758_afford_we-must-unify-taiwan-we-cannot-afford-to_2968268.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2c/chen-shui-bian-16758_afford_we-must-unify-taiwan-we-cannot-afford-to_2968268.jpg)

> “We must unify Taiwan; we cannot afford to have our society being divided in half.”

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

National unity is essential; division weakens society.

**In simple terms:** Stay united for strength.

Key Takeaway

Promote dialogue across differences.

Themes

politics nationalism unity

Mood

hopeful serious

Type

political motivational

When to use this quote

- government policy
- community building
- media narratives

Key Concepts

social cohesion conflict resolution

Questions to Reflect On

- How can divided societies heal?
- What compromises preserve identity?

A Different Perspective

Balancing diverse opinions can be challenging.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) [Taiwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taiwan/)

## Related quotes

> [We will make every effort to unify all ethnic groups, to strengthen belief in Taiwan and to persist in reform.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/we-will-make-every-effort-to-unify-all-ethnic-groups-to-strengthen/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [We will strive to make Taiwan a better place and enable our people to live better lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/we-will-strive-to-make-taiwan-a-better-place-and-enable-our-people-to/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [If we really love and cherish Taiwan, we should hold our hands in unity to protect our country and our democratic values with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/if-we-really-love-and-cherish-taiwan-we-should-hold-our-hands-in/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [Secondly I would like to make continuous efforts of stabilising cross Strait relations, eventually reaching peace across the Taiwan strait and stability and security…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/secondly-i-would-like-to-make-continuous-efforts-of-stabilising-cross/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [Taiwan is an independent sovereign country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/taiwan-is-an-independent-sovereign-country/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [I have great confidence in Taiwan's democracy. I have great confidence in the universal value and in basic human rights, and I have great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/i-have-great-confidence-in-taiwan-s-democracy-i-have-great-confidence/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [We ask them to remove the missiles deployed against Taiwan, give up their military threat, and instead let us together open the door to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/we-ask-them-to-remove-the-missiles-deployed-against-taiwan-give-up/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [I expect the ruling and opposition parties to work together for the future of Taiwan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/i-expect-the-ruling-and-opposition-parties-to-work-together-for-the/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [Even if I were knocked down by one gunshot it wouldn't affect our democracy and I wasn't knocked down and I have great confidence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/even-if-i-were-knocked-down-by-one-gunshot-it-wouldn-t-affect-our/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [I have great confidence in Taiwan's democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/i-have-great-confidence-in-taiwan-s-democracy/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [I have great confidence in the universal value and in basic human rights and I have great confidence that referenda will eventually take root…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/i-have-great-confidence-in-the-universal-value-and-in-basic-human/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [In the 1999 resolution regarding Taiwan's future passed by the Democratic Progressive Party, it is stated very clearly that any change to the status…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/in-the-1999-resolution-regarding-taiwan-s-future-passed-by-the/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [The election is over, and even though there are people who have different ideologies and beliefs, from now on we must all embrace each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/the-election-is-over-and-even-though-there-are-people-who-have/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [However, I must say that I am very happy to see that we have such a positive result for our first referendum in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/however-i-must-say-that-i-am-very-happy-to-see-that-we-have-such-a/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [The majority of Taiwan people cannot accept Taiwan becoming a second Hong Kong, nor can we accept Taiwan becoming a local government of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/the-majority-of-taiwan-people-cannot-accept-taiwan-becoming-a-second/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

## More by Chen Shui-bian

> [We will strive to make Taiwan a better place and enable our people to live better lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/we-will-strive-to-make-taiwan-a-better-place-and-enable-our-people-to/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [It has been well over half a century and I'm glad to say we have taken the right path from authoritarianism to democracy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/it-has-been-well-over-half-a-century-and-i-m-glad-to-say-we-have/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [We will make every effort to unify all ethnic groups, to strengthen belief in Taiwan and to persist in reform.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/we-will-make-every-effort-to-unify-all-ethnic-groups-to-strengthen/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [Also in the new constitution, we want to lower the voting age from 20 years to 18 years and also gradually implement a voluntary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/also-in-the-new-constitution-we-want-to-lower-the-voting-age-from-20/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [However, I must say that I am very happy to see that we have such a positive result for our first referendum in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/however-i-must-say-that-i-am-very-happy-to-see-that-we-have-such-a/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [I believe that this is not only the view of the people on both sides of the Strait. It is also the common expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/i-believe-that-this-is-not-only-the-view-of-the-people-on-both-sides/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [I believe in the greatness of our people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/i-believe-in-the-greatness-of-our-people/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [Through mutual understanding, sincerity and goodwill, and with great wisdom and broad views, the leaders on both sides should jointly initiate new opportunities for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/through-mutual-understanding-sincerity-and-goodwill-and-with-great/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [The election is over, and even though there are people who have different ideologies and beliefs, from now on we must all embrace each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/the-election-is-over-and-even-though-there-are-people-who-have/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [We also intend to deal with the issue of incorporating basic human rights into our new constitution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/we-also-intend-to-deal-with-the-issue-of-incorporating-basic-human/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [In the 1999 resolution regarding Taiwan's future passed by the Democratic Progressive Party, it is stated very clearly that any change to the status…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/in-the-1999-resolution-regarding-taiwan-s-future-passed-by-the/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [It's true I didn't get a fair trial, but the problem is people don't understand the details. It is important to understand the details…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/it-s-true-i-didn-t-get-a-fair-trial-but-the-problem-is-people-don-t/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [The election result is not a victory that belongs to me or my party.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/the-election-result-is-not-a-victory-that-belongs-to-me-or-my-party/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [During my 8 years in office, I set up a special investigatory branch as part of the highest court level. As it happened, from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/during-my-8-years-in-office-i-set-up-a-special-investigatory-branch/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

> [I've been charged with misappropriation of funds or misuse of two types of funds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/i-ve-been-charged-with-misappropriation-of-funds-or-misuse-of-two/)

[Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

[Explore all 39 Chen Shui-bian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/)

## More Afford quotes

> [We can't afford any president to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/we-can-t-afford-any-president-to-fail/)

[Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/)

> [Just because you can afford it doesn't mean you should buy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/just-because-you-can-afford-it-doesn-t-mean-you-should-buy-it/)

[Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/)

> [I am not a Ph.D. in economics or a doctorate in literature that I can afford to take my singing lightly. Even if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kailash-kher/i-am-not-a-ph-d-in-economics-or-a-doctorate-in-literature-that-i-can/)

[Kailash Kher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kailash-kher/)

> [Now I'm having to live with sales of around 50,000 per album - but I'm pretty content with my place in the general scheme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-knopfler/now-i-m-having-to-live-with-sales-of-around-50-000-per-album-but-i-m/)

[David Knopfler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-knopfler/)

> [I was lucky because I got so successful so early, and when you get successful early, then you can afford to be a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-von-furstenberg/i-was-lucky-because-i-got-so-successful-so-early-and-when-you-get/)

[Diane von Furstenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-von-furstenberg/)

> [I have crooked toes from wearing boots that didn't fit me because that's all I could afford as a kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lomu/i-have-crooked-toes-from-wearing-boots-that-didn-t-fit-me-because/)

[Jonah Lomu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lomu/)

> [The most common reason new mothers return to work sooner than they'd like to is because they can't afford to go without their salaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexa-von-tobel/the-most-common-reason-new-mothers-return-to-work-sooner-than-they-d/)

[Alexa Von Tobel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexa-von-tobel/)

> [This fatigue can not afford to do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israa-ali/this-fatigue-can-not-afford-to-do/)

[ISRAA ALI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israa-ali/)

> [A good player is a good player, it's just that we cannot afford signings that do not work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-dyche/a-good-player-is-a-good-player-it-s-just-that-we-cannot-afford/)

[Sean Dyche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-dyche/)

> [I'm not the most talented writer in the world. I know that. But I also know that I'm disciplined, that I work my butt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-b-coe/i-m-not-the-most-talented-writer-in-the-world-i-know-that-but-i-also/)

[David B. Coe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-b-coe/)

> [Unfortunately, some people go to a restaurant, and they aren't really there to enjoy themselves. They're there because they think they deserve to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-dinicol/unfortunately-some-people-go-to-a-restaurant-and-they-aren-t-really/)

Joe Dinicol

> [Nobody has so many friends that he can afford to lose one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/nobody-has-so-many-friends-that-he-can-afford-to-lose-one/)

[Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/)

> [My earliest memories were when my mom would put me in the plays that she was in because she couldn't afford a babysitter... she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-applegate/my-earliest-memories-were-when-my-mom-would-put-me-in-the-plays-that/)

[Christina Applegate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-applegate/)

> [In Washington journalists can afford to live almost as well as people who work for a living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/in-washington-journalists-can-afford-to-live-almost-as-well-as-people/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [I'm a little bit tough because I can't afford to get my heart broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandi-glanville/i-m-a-little-bit-tough-because-i-can-t-afford-to-get-my-heart-broken/)

[Brandi Glanville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandi-glanville/)

Browse all 784 Afford quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "We must unify Taiwan; we cannot afford to have our society being divided in half.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Chen Shui-bian"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/we-must-unify-taiwan-we-cannot-afford-to-have-our-society-being/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Afford"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/we-must-unify-taiwan-we-cannot-afford-to-have-our-society-being/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2c/chen-shui-bian-16758_afford_we-must-unify-taiwan-we-cannot-afford-to_2968268.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2c/chen-shui-bian-16758_afford_we-must-unify-taiwan-we-cannot-afford-to_2968268.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2c/chen-shui-bian-16758_afford_we-must-unify-taiwan-we-cannot-afford-to_2968268.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We must unify Taiwan; we cannot afford to have our society being divided in half.” — Chen Shui-bian",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Chen Shui-bian",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "We must unify Taiwan; we cannot...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/we-must-unify-taiwan-we-cannot-afford-to-have-our-society-being/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/we-must-unify-taiwan-we-cannot-afford-to-have-our-society-being/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```