Mr. Chairman, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen:
I am certainly delighted to have this opportunity to meet with all of you at the International Press Institute World Congress and General Assembly, being held here in Taipei. First, on behalf of the government and people of the Republic of China, let me extend a warm welcome to all of our distinguished guests, many of whom have come from distant countries to be with us today. Let me also express my sincere admiration for the IPI's continuing commitment and extraordinary contributions to promoting worldwide respect for press freedom, to defending the rights of the media, and to upholding professional journalism ethics.
In 1950, a United Nations task force for press freedom established the International Code of Ethics, which emphasized the concepts that freedoms of the press and publication are basic human rights. When the International Press Institute was established that same year, it formulated and widely publicized an effective set of policies for press freedom based on this international code. During the last half century, a wave of democracy transformed Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. We must acknowledge the long term and indispensable role of the IPI in these successful transformations.
The history of journalism chronicles mankind's struggle for freedom and democracy. We believe that only when the news media has the right to free dissemination of information will the people be able to access and utilize information. They then will also have the freedom to fully express their opinions, and furthermore, formulate rational policies, peacefully transfer power, and realize democratic ideals. Without press freedom, there can be no democracy. Freedom of the press is a concrete indicator to verify political democracy.
For more than a decade, I have been promoting Taiwan's democratic reforms and have profoundly felt that a free and open media industry is the driving force behind democratic development. Beginning in 1987, in accordance with world trends and domestic public opinion, we implemented a series of significant political reforms. They include: lifting martial law, legalizing the establishment and registration of political parties, abolishing the Temporary Provisions Effective During the Period of National Mobilization for Suppression of the Communist Rebellion, re-instituting elections for national parliamentarians, and holding, for the very first time in Chinese history, direct presidential and vice-presidential elections.
During this same period, we liberalized the regulations on the establishment of newspapers and electronic media to ensure that political democracy and media liberalization advanced in pace with each other. Amid fierce competition, media enterprises flourished, displaying the dynamism and pluralism that have contributed significantly to consolidating the Republic of China's political democracy.
Because we have a completely free environment, the media can truly and comprehensively reflect public opinion and present a total picture of society, while maintaining oversight on the administrative efficiency of all levels of government. Moreover, with the various comprehensive safeguard mechanisms for a free press, the Republic of China is now one of the freest nations in the world in terms of news reporting and information flow. Through contacts with multiple media channels, the people have been able to enrich their knowledge and form sound concepts. This has made communication between the government and the public more constructive, created a favorable climate for implementing democracy, and enabled government decisions to better reflect public needs. At present, in order to meet the world trends of globalization, we are establishing Taiwan as an Asia-Pacific center for media and telecommunications, which will further enhance our press freedom and information flow.
In the future, the Republic of China, as it has in the past, will continue to implement the essence of democracy, freedom and human rights with positive actions. Furthermore, we will work closely with the IPI toward advancing freedom of the press around the world. With the arrival of the information age, democratization and globalization, everyone, countries and individuals alike, must fully grasp the latest information to maintain the competitive edge. Now that the mass media has progressively contributed to global democratization, the new task and mission for the IPI and all the professionals in mass media is to adapt to new world developments in order to foster greater welfare of mankind. In particular, we are in the era of the global village. Everyone in this world must have concern for and support each other in order to usher in a new epoch in the history of civilization.
Ladies and Gentlemen, as we look ahead to the next century, we realize that the press and media will certainly exert a greater impact on our lives, and stimulate progress in the global community. The responsibilities on each of your shoulders will be even greater than they are today. I am confident that the valuable consensus and resolutions arrived at your three-day congress will lay the blueprint for a brighter future in the development of the world's press and media industry.
In closing, I wish this conference great success and each of you good health and happiness. Thank you.