Taipei, Jan. 6 (CNA) Vice President Annette Lu announced Tuesday the setting up of a preparatory committee for a planned Democratic Pacific Union and the holding of a second Democratic Pacific Assembly in September to clear the way for the formal formation of the union.
Lu made the announcement at the Presidential Office during a news conference in which she also appointed Legislator Chen Tang-shan of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as chief of the committee. Scores of members of the preparatory committee were also present.
According to the vice president, the committee will be composed of five divisions focusing on humanity and social affairs, peace and security, technology, trade and industry and marine resources, and will be led by top professionals from related fields.
Claiming that the Democratic Pacific Union she envisaged and initiated is a common aspiration among all the members, Lu thanked the many experts and specialists for their efforts and contributions and pronounced that the second Democratic Pacific Assembly will be held Sept. 21 in Taipei.
A declaration heralding the "era of the Pacific" will be made public at the conference, Lu said, adding that representatives from countries around the world which share the ideals of the planned union will also participate.
The vice president said President Chen Shui-bian fully supports the projected Democratic Pacific Union and she vowed that she will continue to promote the establishment of the union even if she loses her bid for re-election as vice president March 20.
Stating that setting up the union is one of her major life goals, Lu pledged that the government will shift its attention from mainland China to a new horizon across the Pacific.
She expressed her desire to build new relationships and help inject a new lease on life for Taiwan with many friendly nations on the other side of the Pacific through establishing the group, because, she said, the Pacific is where the tremendous opportunities are in the new era.
The first Democratic Pacific Assembly opened Sept. 21 last year and the three-day conference was successful thanks to the participation of 68 representatives from 24 countries across the globe, she recounted.
The purpose of the creation of a Democratic Pacific Union is to advocate the "globally recognized values of soft power," which she described as human rights, democracy, freedom and technology, in cooperation with friendly states on the Pacific Rim.
The long-term goal of the union is to forge a "Union of Pacific Democracies" composed of regional governments to promote democracy, sustainable development and oceanic culture in the region, she explained.