UN General Assembly
1960

68, We understand both the drives and the difficulties of economic development in the under-developed countries, because we have suffered from the miseries of under-development and have struggled and are still struggling for economic development. During the last fifteen years, my Government has pushed economic development as the first and most important task of Government and of people. Although we are far from our goal, we have come a long way. Fifteen years ago, at the end of the Second World War, Taiwan had an economy almost entirely agricultural: 85 per cent of its people were engaged in farming; the exports of the island were entirely agricultural products. Today, production on the island comes half from agriculture and half from industry and commerce. Farming as an occupation absorbs the energies of less than 50 per cent of the population. In the export trade, industrial products are gaining in percentage over agricultural products. In the supply of food we are now more than self-sufficient; likewise in products of light industry which satisfy the consumers' wants. We are now beginning the development of heavy industry.