President Lee Teng-hui today pointed out that the United States and the Republic of China share the common values of freedom and democracy and that the ROC is an example of the extension of American value system in Asia.
President Lee made the remarks while receiving visiting U.S. Representative Dana Rohrabacher (R-California) this morning.
The President also told his guest that the ROC is currently making great efforts at consolidating democracy, thus realizing the ideal of "putting powers on the people's hands" advocated by Dr. Sun Yat-sen, founding father of the Republic.
However, President Lee noted, the people's spiritual life has not been enriched in spite of our political democracy and economic prosperity. That is the reason why he is actively promoting "spiritual reengineering" among the populace. The fact that the Dalai Lama's preach is warmly welcomed in Taiwan indicates that the people here are eager for spiritual enrichment, the President said.
Rep. Rohrabacher, who is on his fifth visit to the ROC since he was first elected congressman in 1988, was accompanied by ROC Vice Foreign Minister Chen Chien-jen to the Office of the President for the meeting. Dr. Ding Mou-shih, secretary-general of the ROC National Security Council, and Mr. Stephen S.F. Chen, deputy secretary-general to the President, were also present.
Being chair of the Space and Aeronautic Subcommittee of the Science Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Rohrabacher proposed that further cooperation could be enhanced between his subcommittee and the ROC's related institutions such as the National Science Council under the Executive Yuan. President Lee gladly agreed with him.
President Lee and his guest also exchanged views on relations between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland and on other issues of mutual concern.