Chairman Sänger, Mr. McDonald, Chairman Siew, Secretary General Chang, President Yao, Vice President Chiang, Chairman Huang, Representatives from European Countries, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen:
Good evening!
I am delighted to be here this evening, at the invitation of the European Chamber of Commerce Taipei (ECCT), to attend this year's Europe Day Gala Dinner, in the company of so many distinguished guests from Taiwan's international community. I would like to say a special "thank you" to the ECCT for the support and assistance rendered to Taiwan by your organization in the fight against SARS.
Interaction between Taiwan and Europe goes back many centuries. The Portuguese first called Taiwan Ilha Formosa, "the beautiful island," and the rest of the Western world followed suit. Even today, remnants from the Spanish and Dutch colonial period can be found all over Taiwan. The establishment of an Economic and Trade Office in Taiwan by the European Union (EU) this past March marks a new milestone in our relationship. In recent years, the European Parliament has taken numerous actions in support of Taiwan--calling for peace in the Taiwan Strait while acknowledging the will of the people of Taiwan; calling for the PRC to withdraw missiles deployed along its southeast coastline to ensure peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. Furthermore, during the World Health Assembly in Geneva in May, the EU publicly voiced its support for Taiwan to be given an appropriate role in the World Health Organization (WHO). These actions, and the friendship they represent, are much appreciated. Let us all look forward to the day when Taiwan can equally participate in multilateral organizations and make its rightful contribution to the international community.
In an increasingly competitive global market, Taiwan must create an open and liberalized economic environment in order to maintain its competitive edge. My administration is committed to realizing the consensus reached at the Economic Development Advisory Conference (EDAC)--the goal is economic revitalization in conjunction with comprehensive reform. In July, the Executive Yuan lifted major restrictions previously imposed on Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors (QFII). Additionally, the passage of four important finance bills by the Legislative Yuan represents some of the legislative measures being implemented to increase transparency. This is expected to significantly improve Taiwan's financial infrastructure, making Taiwan a truly viable regional operations hub.
According to a survey published by Business Environment Risk Intelligence (BERI) in August, Taiwan and Japan ranked second in Asia and fourth in the world for investment climate, following Switzerland, Singapore and the Netherlands. I am fully confident that Taiwan's dedicated effort to expeditiously instate financial reforms as we strive to consolidate our new democracy will translate into a stronger and more vibrant business environment that offers advantages like no other country in this region. Let me take this opportunity to invite members of the European business community to participate in the international investment conference, to be hosted by our Ministry of Economic Affairs next month. The purpose of the conference will be to introduce new government initiatives and outline recent changes in regulatory policies that will benefit foreign investors.
On the issue of cross-strait trade, there is no question that the "three links" is the road that we must take. Yet, I maintain that obstacles relating to "three links" trade and transport policies need not exist so long as the PRC is willing to dialogue and engage in consultation with us. Our recent proposal for establishing "direct links" comprises a three-stage plan, with the first stage--from now until March 20 next year--being a preparatory phase. The most important task in this stage is to facilitate fast, convenient cargo transportation by expediting the implementation of procedures.
Just last week, my administration issued a plan for facilitating cross-strait air cargo transportation. Chartered cargo flights operated by Taiwanese companies will be allowed to Shanghai, with a brief stopover in Hong Kong or Macao, significantly shortening transportation time. I sincerely hope that the PRC will respond positively--considering the benefits and our good intent--and that they will actively cooperate with us so as to meet the demand of the business community and to strengthen regional economic competitiveness. The success of indirect chartered cargo flights will create a more positive environment that is conducive to the normalization of relations between the two countries.
Taiwan is fortunate to have friends like you who are here tonight. I believe that Taiwan's ongoing effort to stay on par with our international counterparts in Europe and the rest of the world will prove us worthy of your continued support and advocacy.
I wish all of you good health and much happiness. Thank you very much and have a wonderful evening.