TAIWAN SHOULD HOLD ON TO ITS STATEHOOD: PRESIDENT
2004-02-05 21:48:57
Taipei, Feb. 5 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian said Thursday that Taiwan should hold fast to its statehood and that no foreign country or individual can unilaterally decide the future of Taiwan after the March 20 referendum.
Speaking at a seminar on cultural affairs organized by the Association of Community Radio Stations in Paochung, in central Taiwan's Yunlin County, Chen said that holding the referendum will allow the international community to know the Taiwan people's collective will.
The achievements made by Taiwan in the field of democratic reforms, ranging from the lifting of martial law, lifting the ban on organizing political parties and restrictions on media operations, to the election of the president by popular vote, were not obtained by chance but by a long and hard fight by the people, Chen said.
The referendum is the last step in completing Taiwan's democratization, the president claimed.
He encouraged the public to "vote for Taiwan" in the upcoming national referendum, which will be Taiwan's first, and to jointly write a new chapter of Taiwan's history.
The two questions that will be put to the referendum vote initiated by Chen are as follows: -- "The people of Taiwan demand that the Taiwan Strait issue be resolved through peaceful means. Should mainland China refuse to withdraw the missiles it has targeted at Taiwan and openly renounce the use of force against us, would you agree that the government should acquire more advanced anti-missile weapons to strengthen Taiwan's self-defense capabilities?" -- "Would you agree that our government should engage in negotiation with mainland China on the establishment of a peace and stability framework for cross-strait interaction in order to build consensus and for the welfare of the peoples of both sides?"
(By Huang Kwang-chun)
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