Keynote Speech Delivered by
Vice President Lu Hsiu-lien (Annette)
At the DPU: Asia-Pacific Regional Conference
Tokyo, Japan (Via Teleconference)
June 10, 2005
Chairman Takeo Hiranuma, Ambassador Dr. Se-Kai Koh of Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan, Vice Chairman Theodore M.H. Huang of the International Preparatory Committee for the DPU, Chairman Takahashi Masaji of the Interchange Association,
Distinguished guests and supporters of the DPU, Ladies and Gentlemen:
As the Chair of the International Preparatory Committee, I wish that I could be there with you in person to attend the Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting in Tokyo, Japan, just as I was able to chair the Americas Regional Meeting in Guatemala earlier this year on March 18. Despite the difficulty, I still feel privileged that I can join the meeting via teleconference and see so many distinguished leaders from countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region gathered here to build a better future for all of us. I especially like to express my appreciation for Chairman Takeo Hiranuma and Vice Chairman Theodore Huang for their excellent leadership and cooperation throughout the preparation of this meeting. In addition, I would also like to thank the Japan-ROC Diet Members' Consultative Council and the Japanese Federation of Economic Organizations for helping to make this meeting possible.
The Paradox of the 21st Century
In The Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickson wrote, "it was the best of times; it was the worst of times." Indeed, the 21st Century is certainly a century of paradox, a time marked with incredible peace and serious conflicts, where contentions and compromises coexist. It is an era of abundance and destitution, marked with progress and stagnation, where regional integration coincides with the dissolution of previous international orders. It is a time of hope and a time of crisis. It is also a time where we must soberly examine the past history while we plan our future course with enthusiasm and optimism. Each nation in the world has a different history, yet all nations share the same future on this Earth. It is of the utmost importance, therefore, for us to build a future based on the core values of Democracy, Peace and Prosperity.
The 20th Century was marked with two world wars that claimed the lives of more than 140 million and a Cold War that resulted in a nuclear arms race and put the world on the brink of destruction for more than 45 years.
This year marks the Sixtieth Anniversary of the end of the Second World War, where 80 million soldiers and civilians perished in bloody conflicts that spanned throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and the South Pacific region. Yet the end of the Second World War was only the beginning of the nuclear arms race that marked a new global conflict between communist and democratic countries. The Cold War that followed would overshadow much of the 20th Century for nearly half-a century.
But the 20th Century also saw the end of the Cold War, where the movement for freedom and liberty broke down the Berlin Wall, liberated Eastern Europe, united Germany, resulted in the collapse of the former Soviet Union, and ended the confrontation between NATO and the Warsaw Pact.
With the increasing globalization and the information revolution, however, we began the 21st Century with high hopes for an era of peace and prosperity. Economic integration not only took place on the global level with the World Trade Organization, but also happened on the regional level, with the formation and consolidation of the European Union (EU), the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the Central America Free Trade Agreement and the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN). The expansion of the EU in 2004 and the introduction of the Euro further exemplified the success of regional economic integration throughout the world.
While the dual forces of globalization and information revolution resulted in much prosperity and economic success, they have also deepened the economic divide between the North and the South. The increasing global economy also increased the flow of investment, human resources and technology across national borders, diminishing the ability of the nation-states to limit the impacts on their domestic economy.
While the nations were occupied with the economic challenges, the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001 propelled the United States and the world from the post-Cold War era into the post-911 era. As if to fulfill the prophesy of Huntington's Clash of Civilizations, different values, religions and ideologies along cultural lines again divided the world as the United States aggressively pursued its anti-terrorists agenda – first by passing the USA PATRIOT ACT, enhancing its homeland security while limiting civil rights within and imposing stringent immigration requirements, followed by an anti-terror campaign in Afghanistan in the same month and the Second Persian Gulf War in 2003.
As the issue of security in the world became more complex with the growing threats of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the global impacts of environmental and public health issues also became top concerns of the world. The increasing consumption of fossil fuels and the resulting greenhouse gases have led to serious global warming and resulted in abnormal weather patterns throughout the world. The outbreak of SARS in China in 2003 quickly spread across the Pacific Ocean, while the tsunami at the end of 2004 resulted in over 300,000 deaths and untold damages throughout Southeast Asia. In an integrated world, where a sneeze in Taiwan's IT industry can cause a flu in the world economy, we can no longer isolate ourselves. Today's global challenges require us to address economic, security, public health and environmental issues together.
Vision for a Pacific Century
Globalization and the Information Revolution also pose new challenges for the Pacific Rim area. The Pacific Rim Region is vast. With more than 2 billion people living in 30 nations, it is home to about 40 percent of the world's population.
The Pacific Ocean includes 24 seas. With an area of nearly 180 million square kilometers, it covers about 28% of the global surface and is larger than the total land area of the world. It is a major contributor to the world economy and particularly to those nations its waters directly touch. The Pacific Ocean provides low-cost sea transportation between the East and the West, extensive fishing grounds, offshore oil and gas fields, various kinds of minerals, and sand and gravel for the construction industry.
The Pacific Ocean is rich in natural resources, accounting for 45% of the fishery production in the world and more than 90% of marine products. The continental shelf deposits of oil and natural gas in the Pacific region are among the most plentiful in the world. Underneath the Pacific seabed lie stores of minerals ten to a thousand times richer than those on land. In addition, exploitation of offshore oil and gas reserves is playing an ever-increasing role in the energy supplies of the United States, Australia, New Zealand, China, and Peru.
The countries of the Pacific are renowned for their flourishing industries and rapid economic growth. For instance, the United States and Japan, two of the world's leading industrial nations, are each situated on the eastern and western edges of the Pacific, respectively. In the Asia-Pacific region, the economic strength of Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong—also known as the "Four Tigers"—have drawn international attention, as has the accelerated economic growth of China following the recent economic reforms and liberalization.
Yet hot spots reminiscence of the Cold War still exist in Asia. As of 2005, there are only five Communist states in the world: China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, and Vietnam. Four out of five of these are located in Asia. In addition, the issues of North Korea's nuclear ambition, the territorial dispute over the South China Sea and hostility across the Taiwan Strait threaten peace and stability not just in the region, but also in the world. The development of a regional, cross-Pacific organization to promote the value of democracy, peace and prosperity is not only an urgent matter in the present but will also ensure to long-term stability in the world.
Establishment of the DPU and the Birth of a Blue Civilization
In the face of these challenges facing the Pacific Rim region, the concept of a Democratic Pacific Union started in 2001 with the preparatory meeting of a Democratic Pacific Assembly. The goal of the DPU is to gather the democracies around the Pacific Rim region to promote democracy, ensure peace and to spread prosperity throughout the Pacific Rim Region.
The characteristic of the DPU is different from other regional and international organizations in many ways. First, it integrates both the land and the ocean, focusing on developing an ocean-centered mentality. Second, it transverses beyond economic integration (such as APEC or the EU) and security arrangements (such as NATO). Instead, it focuses on a holistic approach to the issues that face the entire Pacific community, integrating the East and the West, the North and the South.
The integration of the East and the West is not only a strategic alliance, but also a fusion of cultures and values – resulting in a new Blue Civilization focused on the development of the ocean as well as the land. The integration of the North and the South is not just an economic partnership, but also an effort to promote prosperity by sharing the developing experiences among the members and to foster understanding through the inclusion of South Pacific cultures in the formation of the Blue Civilization.
DPU's Organization
Members of the DPU are comprised of democratic countries around the Pacific Rim that identify with the values of Democracy, Peace and Prosperity. Democratic countries not located in the Pacific Rim region are also encouraged to join and become observers to the DPU. Each member of the DPU will be represented by three prestigious delegates, which should include one prominent figure from the executive or the legislative branch of the government, one well-respected scholar from the academia, and one distinguished leader from the private sector or a renowned non-governmental organization.
International Cooperation and Development Department
In addition to the International Secretariat, which will be responsible for the operation of the DPU, there will also be an International Cooperation and Development Department. It will include six commissions in the areas of (1) Law and Politics; (2) Culture and Society; (3) Peace and Security; (4) Science and Technology; (5) Industries and Economics; and (6) Maritime Affairs. Experts will be invited to participate to pursue the goals of democracy, peace and prosperity in these commissions and these groups of experts may establish task forces based on research and development needs.
Regional Meetings
The DPU includes three regions, the Americas Region, the Asia Region and the South-Pacific Region. Each region has its unique characteristics and challenges. In March of 2005, DPU held its first regional meeting in the Americas, where delegates from 12 countries gathered in Guatemala to discuss the issues of development. Delegates from Taiwan shared Taiwan's economic, technological and agricultural development experiences with the participants from the Americas region. The panel sessions, titled "The Taiwan Experience," received overwhelming responses from the attendees at the Americas Regional Meeting. The success of the first regional meeting also laid a solid foundation for the Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting today.
In the Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting, the topics of civilization and technology are especially important. This region contains a diverse group of civilizations that are both ancient and modern. Yet it is also a region that has the most communist states in the world. The region has the fastest growing economy in the world today, primarily driven by technological progress and world-renowned IT industries. Yet it is also a region that faces old and new threats, ranging from the remnants of conflicts during the Cold War to the rise of terrorist groups. Through the discussion and presentation today, I hope that the participating countries will have a better understanding of each other as well as the issues that face the Asia Pacific community.
Ongoing Projects of the DPU
With the work of the International Preparatory Committee and the International Secretariat, we have started some initial projects for the DPU. These include the Taiwan Scholarship and a Visiting Fellowship Program. The Taiwan Scholarship program is aimed to develop future leaders by promoting academic exchange between Taiwan and other members of the DPU. Recipients of the scholarship are given three years to study in Taiwan and to learn Taiwan economic development and democratization experiences. The Visiting Fellowship program provides prominent leaders in the political, academia, non-profit and private sectors a chance to visit Taiwan. It is designed to strengthen the ties among DPU members and to provide a platform for professional exchange.
In addition to these two programs that are initiated by Taiwan, the International Secretariat are also planning three institutes: the Institute for Democracy, the Institute for Peace and the Institute for Prosperity; three centers: the Center for Women's Development; the Center for Marine Development, and the Center for Disaster Preventions; and one Pacific Internet University.
The Institute for Democracy will help share the experience of democratization in different countries, enable peaceful transition of democracy and promote consolidation of democracy throughout DPU members. The Institute for Peace will combine existing resources and network of human rights and peace organizations with the aim of creating mechanism for ensuring peace and stability among potential hot spots. The Institute for Prosperity will combine job training as well as technical assistance to assist developing countries and advance their economy.
The Center for Women's Development seeks to network women leaders among DPU members to empower women in the promotion of democracy peace and prosperity while at the same time strengthen the roles of women at home, as well as in the international community. The Center for Marine Development will encourage joint efforts for sustainable marine development, marine studies and resource management. The Center for Disaster Prevention will coordinate DPU members in their effort to prevent and mitigate various natural disasters such as tsunami, earthquakes and typhoons.
Lastly, the Pacific Internet University will be a virtual community that bring distance learning for DPU members and create a simple platform for exchange of ideas and academic resources.
Conclusion
While Taiwan has taken initiative on two of these projects, the Taiwan Scholarship and the Visiting Fellowship, the DPU belongs to all of its members, and every member's contribution and participation are the keys to the success of the organization. Thus, I encourage all members to contribute to these projects and if possible, design and implement their own projects for DPU. I also want to invite everyone here to attend the Inauguration Meeting of the DPU to be held in Taipei, Taiwan on August 14, 2005, the Sixtieth Anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Together, let's make Democracy, Peace and Prosperity into the Blue Civilization of the 21st Century Pacific within the family of the DPU.
At the end, I wish for a successful meeting today, and I look forward to seeing you in Taipei in August. Thank you.