Taipei, Oct. 10 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian Tuesday again urged leaders on the other side of the Taiwan Strait to set aside differences and resume dialogue with Taiwan so as to break the current deadlock and achieve a "win-win" situation.
The president made the remarks while addressing more than 400 central and local government officials, elected representatives, and overseas Chinese representatives at the Presidential Office to mark the Republic of China's National Day.
President Chen said the government is sincere in seeking "goodwill reconciliation, active cooperation, and long-lasting peace," and he called on the leaders of mainland China to join us in returning to the spirit of 1992," putting aside disputes and resuming dialogue and exchanges as soon as possible."
But the president also reiterated the position that "the resolution of cross-strait issues and the future of Taiwan must respect the will of the 23 million people of Taiwan."
Now that the emotional heat generated by the election campaign has subsided, he said the nation faces not "only the serious ills and corrupt practices left by the past authoritarian regime, but also the verbal attacks and military threat from the Chinese mainland, which serve to put the wisdom of the new government to a serious test."
President Chen said that maintaining a stable, peaceful, and secure environment has become the top priority of the new government, adding that "if we cannot immediately ease cross-strait tensions, strengthen our diplomatic front, and boost the morale of our armed forces, it will be impossible for us to implement various domestic reforms."
He also said that the new government "based on the solid foundation that has been laid, has committed itself to a series of reforms that will instill the nation with uplifting energy."
The president then received 264 foreign dignitaries, including Haitian President Rene Preval, foreign diplomatic corps, and foreign media heads who had come to attend the "Double Ten Day" festivities.
Chen later addressed a rally of more than 26,000 people in front of the Presidential Office. The theme of his speech revolved around the notion of the "Taiwan spirit."
He said that although the people of Taiwan have come from different places and although there were once differences between the Hoklos, the Hakkas, the indigenous peoples, and the more recent arrivals to the island, the 23 million people of Taiwan "are now all merged in the Taiwan spirit, sharing both fortunes and mishaps."
Saying that Taiwan completed the first successful transfer of political power from one party to another in its history, Chen said that "we are confident that the future will prove that peaceful transition of political power does not simply mean victory or loss for any individual party," but instead victory for all the people and for democracy.
He also said that the role of the ROC in the 21th century should not only be that of the achiever of democracy, but also that of "a protector of peace in the Asia-Pacific region and of an active participant in the international community."
At the end of his National Day message, the president led the crowd in shouting "long live democracy," "long live the people of Taiwan," and "long live the Republic of China." (By Lilian Wu)
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
