Mr. Jenkins, friends from the New York press corps, ambassadors of Taiwan's allied nations to the United Nations, ladies and gentlemen:
Greetings to you all!
I am very pleased, on the second day of the convening of the 59th United Nations General Assembly, to be able to send you my greetings via video conference.
I remember that a little more than ten years ago, my wife and I had the opportunity to visit the UN headquarters. I will never forget that when the UN staff saw that my wife was handicapped and confined to a wheelchair, they immediately made arrangements to prioritize our tour in a show of respect for the disabled and disadvantaged. That experience also left me with a deep admiration for the principles expressed in the first chapter of the Charter of the United Nations, that is, "to develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace."
Peace, respect, equality, and amity are the core values on which the United Nations was established. They are also important assets, which has enabled the United Nations to sustain world and human civilization from the time of its founding to today. As a member of the international community, Taiwan has faithfully performed all duties and responsibilities set forth by the United Nations. We also play an indispensable role in such areas as the global economy and trade, peacekeeping efforts, humanitarian relief, and even the consolidation of democracy.
A free and democratic country like Taiwan deserves to be treated properly and with respect by the international community. Unfortunately, this was not the case last year, when Asia was hit by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) originating from China, and the people of Taiwan had to face the epidemic without the timely attention of the international medical system. Even when Taiwan included this delayed attention as a reason behind our bid for observer status in the World Health Assembly, Chinese officials responded with senselessness and discrimination, retorting: "Who cares about you?"
A free and democratic country like Taiwan should not be the "missing piece" in the United Nations' Principle of Universality. Taiwan's absence in the United Nations has left its 23 million people without an internationally acknowledged identity and has turned them into international vagabonds, victims of political apartheid.
Distinguished guests and friends from the press, the United Nations General Assembly is currently in session. On August 10, the representatives of 15 of Taiwan's diplomatic allies jointly submitted a motion for Taiwan's participation in the United Nations to the secretary-general. The motion asks that the UN General Assembly acknowledge the right of Taiwan's 23 million people to representation in the UN system and adopt appropriate measures to realize this right.
I would like to emphasize here that General Assembly Resolution 2758 dealt only with the People's Republic of China's right to representation in the UN and its subsidiary organizations; it did not grant the PRC the right to represent the people of Taiwan in the UN and its subsidiary organizations. Taiwan is Taiwan. Taiwan cannot and will not fight for the right to represent "China." Taiwan is a land of 36,000 square kilometers, and it deserves representation for the 23 million people who live here.
Regrettably, Resolution 2758 is wrongly interpreted to justify Taiwan's exclusion from the UN family and thus deprive the basic rights of Taiwan's 23 million people to take part in UN efforts and activities. This exclusion is a clear violation of both the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as other international human rights principles. Moreover, it represents a great irony for the United Nations' Principle of Universality.
Taiwan today has a fully capable government and a pluralistic and democratic political system that safeguards human rights. Per capita income has reached US$14,000. Foreign exchange reserves have also exceeded US$230 billion. It is the world's 15th largest trading nation and conducts effective relations with other members of the international community. Taiwan maintains formal diplomatic relations with 25 UN member states. It is also a member of numerous international bodies, including the World Trade Organization.
Taiwan has been active in making constructive contributions to the maintenance of global peace and world order. From countering international terrorism to providing humanitarian relief, from the pursuit of reconciliation across the Taiwan Strait to the promotion of stability in the Asia-Pacific region, Taiwan's efforts have been witnessed by the international community. At the end of August, I made a point of visiting Pearl Harbor during my stopover in Hawaii. Prior to this visit, I announced the cancellation of the September 9 Han Guang military exercise in order to convey a friendly message for peace in the Taiwan Strait.
The historical lesson of Pearl Harbor inspires profound and serious reflection on war and peace. It is indeed necessary for a democratic country to maintain basic defense capabilities. For Taiwan, which faces a clear and constant military threat from a non-democratic country, the need to strengthen our defense capabilities is especially urgent. I have always believed, however, that peace offers the best path towards sustainable development for mankind, and democracy is the only road that leads to peace and stability.
I solemnly declared in my second inaugural speech on May 20 of this year that I will invite the governing and opposition parties in this country to join with representatives from all sectors of society to establish a Committee for Cross-strait Peace and Development. Together, we will draft the Guidelines for Cross-strait Peace and Development, and pave the way for a new relationship of cross-strait peace, stability and sustainable development. Should it accept Taiwan, the United Nations would certainly provide a most effective international monitoring mechanism for the development of a framework for peace and stability between the two sides of the strait. Indeed, it would be able to exercise decisive influence on peace in the Taiwan Strait and the security of the Asia-Pacific region.
I would like to remind the Beijing authorities that Taiwan's pursuit of UN participation does not challenge the PRC's place in the United Nations. Beijing must understand that prior to the unification of Germany, both East and West had UN membership. In Korea, both North and South are presently UN members, and this does not hinder their pursuit of unification on the Korean peninsula.
Therefore, the persistent obstruction of Taiwan's participation in the international community only serves to further alienate Taiwan from China, and causes rancor on both sides. This by no means benefits the normalization of cross-strait relations. Taiwan has once again extended an olive branch of peace, and it is my sincere hope that the other members of the UN will acknowledge the legitimacy and strong aspirations of Taiwan's 23 million people in seeking to join the UN, and support in the General Assembly this year the motion for Taiwan's participation in the UN.
In the recently concluded Athens Olympic Games, Taiwan's athletes made history by winning two gold medals, two silver medals and one bronze. For a country as small as Taiwan to rank 31st among participating nations in terms of gold medals is remarkable and exceptional. However, limited by international politics, we are forced to use the name Chinese Taipei at all related events instead of our official title of the Republic of China, or Taiwan. That a gold medallist from Taiwan is forbidden to sing his national anthem and salute his national flag is both sad and regrettable. If only the nations of the world could put themselves in Taiwan's place. I wish they could understand the situation of the Taiwanese people, and give us their staunchest support.
In closing, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to President Jenkins and all of our friends there from the media. This opportunity for me, as the incumbent president re-elected by popular vote in Taiwan, to speak out to the world symbolizes the unwavering resolve of democratic Taiwan to participate in the United Nations and international affairs. I hope that I will have the chance to meet you at the United Nations. I further wish that, through the arrangements of the United Nations Correspondents Association, I can engage in a public debate on the issue of Taiwan's participation in the United Nations with the Chinese leader Hu Jintao.
I believe that my remarks cover most of Mr. Jenkins's questions, and I would be happy to take further questions. Thank you.