President Lee Teng-hui said today that Chairman Koo Chen-fu of the Straits Exchange Foundation will soon head a delegation to visit mainland China, and that this mission bears far-reaching significance. The system implemented by the Republic of China on Taiwan is not only a symbol of freedom and democracy, but also a guidepost for mainland China to pursue, he added.
President Lee made the remarks when hosting a reception for the representatives of those overseas Chinese returning to the ROC to participate in its National Day celebrations. He told them that as an independent sovereignty, the ROC is a political entity equal in status with mainland China, and that upon this basis and consensus, the two sides of the Taiwan Strait can resolve their common issues through consultations. Otherwise, the 1.2 billion people on the mainland could never shake off communism completely, he said.
The President expressed his hope that all overseas Chinese can understand the real intention of and show confidence in the ROC government, because all of its administrative policies have been systematically planned.
President Lee said that though scattered around the world, overseas Chinese have constantly shown concern over and have contributed immensely to the ROC's development. Without their joint efforts, this country's developments and achievements would have been impossible, he added.
He stated that the government fully appreciates overseas Chinese for their concern over and contributions to the fatherland, and that it has been the government's desire to secure their rights and promote their well-being. In the future, the government will do its utmost to strengthen its services to them and help solve their economic, business, cultural and educational problems, so that they can share the fruit of the ROC's development, he said.
The President told his guests that the relevant government agencies have made headway in the aforementioned issues. In the Asian financial crisis, for example, the ROC's Central Bank of China has provided overseas Chinese businesses with adequate loans to help resolve the problems facing them. Meanwhile, in the cultural and educational area, the ROC's Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission has been very concerned about the education of overseas Chinese descendants, and will help them settle the current issues of teacher shortage and school locations.
President Lee asserted that the ROC on Taiwan has achieved democracy, freedom and social pluralism during the past several decades, accomplishments which the people on the mainland should understand.
He maintained that the world trend is moving toward democratization, globalization and computerization, and that if a country fails to keep abreast with the times, it can never develop. It has been the ROC's constant goal to build itself into a civilized and modern nation, he added.
The President stated that the ROC's achievements during the past years have caused the world community to view this country in a more favorable light, a development which overseas Chinese must have sensed in their respective countries. In particular, the ROC has managed to weather the Asian financial crisis, thanks to its democratization and the soundness of its economic structure. He said he hopes that they will understand these facts and share this information with other overseas Chinese. This is the pride of the Chinese people, and they should join hands to keep it, he said.
In closing, President Lee expressed his desire that all overseas Chinese will continue to lend their support to the ROC government and move forward with their compatriots in Taiwan to create an even brighter new era for the ROC.