Taipei County, Feb. 21 (CNA) Vice President Annette Lu urged the public Saturday to vote in the March 20 referendum and claimed that "soft and gentle power" can dissolve violence and create harmony.
Lu made the remarks while attending the opening ceremony of the First Presidential Cup of the Tai Chi Chuan Championship held in Taipei County.
Emphasizing that the referendum is designed to show the public's desire for peace, the vice president claimed that it is not just a re-election ploy. The referendum will ask voters if Taiwan should build up its anti-missile defenses and if the government should set up a mechanism for cross-Taiwan Strait interaction.
Lu expressed hope that the people should become their own masters and understand that Taiwan is "a place full of love and peace."
Turning to what she called "soft national power, " Lu said that such power is based on love and peace -- just like Tai Chi Chuan's theory of using soft power against violence.
Soft national power is also aimed at promoting freedom, democracy, human rights and high-technology, she added.