President Chen Shui-bian concluded the visit in Guatemala on September 23 and was seen off by Guatemalan Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Briz Abularach and Taiwanese expatriates in the airport.
On the same day, the president's plane arrived at the De Las Americas International Airport, Santo Domingo, capital city of the Dominican Republic. Francisco Nadal, director general of Department of Protocol of the Dominican Republic, and Ambassador John Feng welcomed President Chen on arrival. Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Alejandra Liriano of the Dominican Republic also greeted the president on behalf of his government.
President Chen received warm welcome from local Taiwanese expatriates in the country, and accepted in his hotel Alfredo Pacheco, President of the Lower House, and Andres Bautista, President of the Upper House of the Dominican Republic.
President Leonel Antonio Fernandez Reyna received the Taiwanese president with a military salute, playing the national anthems of both countries and a 21-gun salute. Both presidents reviewed the armies of the Dominican Republic. After the ceremony, the two presidents held a meeting and signed a joint communiqué afterwards.
In the evening, President Fernandez hosted President Chen and his entourage with a national banquet. Both presidents gave speeches on the occasion. President Fernandez thanked the Taiwanese president for the visit, stressing that the people and the governments of the ROC (Taiwan) and the Dominican Republic have long enjoyed friendly relations. The Dominican Republic president said he acknowledges Taiwan's efforts in deepening democracy, strengthening bilateral or multilateral ties with other countries. He also agreed with the standpoint that cross-Strait dispute should be dealt with peacefully. President Fernandez praised the economic miracle created by the people and the government of Taiwan, calling it a model for the Asia-Pacific countries. He took the opportunity to extend his gratitude toward Taiwan's assistances in the agricultural, medical and educational development of the Dominican Republic. As the two countries signed in 1998 an agreement to protect investment in both countries, President Fernandez hoped that trade relations between the two countries can be boosted. He encouraged Taiwan businesses to step up their investment in his country, to increase local employment and improve its development of the knowledge-based industries. The Dominican Republic president urged the two countries to expedite the progress of signing the free trade agreement to allow more economic cooperation and exchanges.
President Chen's speech:
I am deeply honored to receive such a warm welcome by Your Excellency as I came to the Dominican Republic. I owe my greatest gratitude toward this.
The first country I've ever visited after being elected president for the first time is the Dominican Republic. President Fernandez is the first president I met among all the leaders of our diplomatic allies. Before that, I have in fact been to your country in 1985 and 2000. And it's been my pleasure to be here once again, and meet with President Fernandez. I am thankful for this opportunity.
Wise and achievement-driven as President Fernandez is, the Dominican Republic president has gained popularity among his people. He was re-elected into his second term with a supporting rate of over 57 percent. I take the chance today to congratulate Your Excellency for this second term, and wish your country continuous prosperity in economy and democracy. Although both the president and I came from a law background, he earned a PhD in law while I was a legal practitioner. As both of us are second-term presidents, President Fernandez began his presidency earlier and younger than I. I was the Taipei City mayor when I was 43 years old. And while both of us have a minor government, he earned for his country an economic growth of seven percent. I believe that President Fernandez will bring more economic growth to your country in his second term.
The Dominican Republic has always been a country that protects passionately the human rights and democracy. Dr. Juan Bosch was elected as the president in 1963 and honored the beliefs of freedom, human rights and morality, which are also the faiths of the nation's founding father Juan Pablo Duarte. Even to this day, the beliefs are still being honored by the best of Dr. Bosch's disciples -- President Fernandez. In my country, I am the first president with a law degree, and I am the first president who makes it clear that our country will be built on the principles of human rights. I've always believed that human rights should come as the core value of a democratic, constitutionalized country. And our government also regards "a country based on the principles of human rights" and a "human rights Taiwan" as our goals to achieve. We hope that the human rights conditions of Taiwan can meet the world standard.
It is the first time that I invited both the ruling and opposition party leaders to come with me for a state visit. The Democratic Progressive Party Chairman Su Tseng-chang and the Taiwan Solidarity Union Chairman Su Chih-Chiang, along with three legislators, are all members of our delegation this time. I hope that the friendship between the two governments will spread to all levels.
I know there are more than a hundred athletes from your country who are now playing in the U.S. Major League Baseball, and those players have the best of the performances among all players in the league, which is truly remarkable. Baseball is also one of the most favorite sports in Taiwan, and we now have three players in the Major League. We have Wang Chien-Ming of New York Yankees, Tsao Chin-hui of the Colorado Rockies, and Kuo Hong-Chih of the Los Angeles Dodgers. All of them are a source of pride for Taiwan. Mr. Wang of the Yankees, in particular, gained spectacular performances right after being allowed to play in the league. Very coincidentally, he got a good friend named Robinson Cano, who entered the Major League this same season as our Mr. Wang did. And Mr. Cano is nobody but a citizen of the Dominican Republic. I believe that both Wang and Cano can be the future stars of the Yankees, and that Taiwan and the Dominican Republic would get closer because of the baseball.
Early tomorrow morning, members of our delegation and media friends from Taiwan will organize the "Red Leaves Softball Team" and join in a friendship tournament with their counterparts here in the country. I am convinced that the baseball is the common language and is the way to shorten our distance. Through the baseball game we get to know more about each other, and the friendship between us can become more solid.
The Dominican Republic and the ROC (Taiwan) have enjoyed a friendship of over 60 years. The two governments have closely cooperated and exchanged experiences on education, public health, agriculture, and technological development. I would like to mention here a very special Taiwanese -- Dr. Hsieh Ying-duo. Dr. Hsieh devoted most of his life in the Dominican Republic to improve the quality and quantity of rice production. He came in 1965 as head of an agricultural delegation, and has been living in the Dominican Republic for exactly 40 years now. He now settles in the country, and has become an authentic Dominican. Dr. Hsieh has become a legend in the local Chinese community. We admire him for his contribution to the Dominican Republic.
I learned that both foreign affairs ministers of Taiwan and the Dominican Republic signed a memorandum of understanding on the free trade agreement, and officials of the two governments are now on the negotiation table for the matter. I am sure that the FTA will attract more Taiwanese investment to the country, and will contribute to more industrial and economic exchanges for Taiwan, the Caribbean and North American nations. Taiwan could meanwhile serve as the springboard for the Caribbean nations, paving way for them in the Asian market. We will create a win-win situation through the singing of the FTA.
I hereby extend my greatest thankfulness for your passion and hospitality, and hope that both peoples of Taiwan and the Dominican Republic enjoy peace, happiness and a prosperous future. I invite all of you to join me in a toast to the good health and happiness of Your Excellency, President Fernandez, to the continued prosperity of your country, and to everlasting friendship between Taiwan and the Dominican Repulic. And I wish each of you good health and the best of everything. Thank you.