Taipei, Jan. 2 (CNA) Vice President Annette Lu called Friday for the Taiwan public to cast their referendum votes to say "no" to mainland China, the "peace-breaker" across the Taiwan Strait.
Addressing a symposium on general political, economic and social issues, Lu claimed that the mainland, which has nearly 500 ballistic missiles aimed at Taiwan, is a "peace-breaker" and a "nation of terrorists."
Noting that peace must be a prerequisite for any solution to cross-Taiwan Strait disputes, Lu urged the public not to be indecisive on the referendum issue. She said the public should, via their referendum votes, let the world know which side of the Taiwan Strait is undermining international peace.
Paraphrasing a famous phrase championed by Republic of China founding father Sun Yat-sen nearly a century ago that "only peace can salvage China," Lu said that in today's Taiwan, the people should champion the phrase: "Only peace can salvage Taiwan."
Lu said peace is the only way out for Taiwan, adding that she will soon push for the establishment of a "Saving Taiwan with Peace" promotion alliance, under the auspices of which academics and experts from home and abroad will be invited to make concerted efforts for the cause.
Lu said Taiwan's economy has continued to flourish under the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party, with the country's foreign exchange reserves growing steadily from month to month.
Taiwan's Forex reserves, totaling about US$107.6 billion in 2000, had grown to US$202.83 billion by May last year, representing growth of US$2 billion to US$3 billion per month over the past three years or so, she said.
Citing an annual report published by the Geneva-based World Economic Forum (WEF), Lu said that Taiwan's global competitiveness was ranked fifth in the world for 2003, behind only Finland, the United States, Sweden and Denmark, in that order.
Taiwan has played a remarkable game of catch-up over the past three years, she said, adding that in 2000, Taiwan ranked just 10th in the same WEF survey.
The symposium, attended mostly by academics, was jointly sponsored by the non-profit Taiwan Heart organization and the Institute for National Development.