President Lee Teng-hui today sent a letter to Pope John Paull II to express his wholehearted support for His Holiness' message for the World Day of Peace for 1998. The full text of the letter is as follows:
Your Holiness:
I have read with great interest and admiration Your Holiness' message for the World Day of Peace for 1998, entitled, "From the Justice of Each Comes Peace for All." I am deeply impressed by and fully endorse your high-minded and inspiring appeal. Your Holiness rightly stated: "Justice goes hand in hand with peace and is permanently and actively linked to peace.... When one is threatened, both falter...."
Indeed, we are still living in an unjust world, divided between the rich and the poor, between the strong and the weak. Accordingly, all of us should comply with the principle of justice rooted in love, and should pursue globalization with the spirit of solidarity, so that humanity can attain world reconciliation and peace.
The government of the Republic of China wholeheartedly admires and supports Your Holiness' call to structure a world where people show respect for the rule of law and human rights, and where people care for each other. In this regard, the Republic of China has been committed to building a new society with respect for the rule of law, while trying to solve the disputes between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait with the goal that some day all of China will live in peace and solidarity.
Sharing Your Holiness' concepts, I pledge that the government of the Republic of China will fully support the lofty ideals delivered in Your Holiness' message for the World Day of Peace. I also firmly believe that peace and justice will ultimately prevail on earth.
Please accept, Your Holiness, the assurances of my highest consideration.
Sincerely yours,
Lee Teng-hui