President Chen Shui-bian met with a delegation comprised of the British Parliament on the morning of January 3, 2006 on behalf of the nation's government and the Taiwanese people expressing utmost earnest greetings and heartfelt appreciation.
The President said that it is a judicious resolution that the United Kingdom is strictly opposed to lifting the arms embargo on China. The European Union has maintained an arms embargo against China since the Tiananmen Square Incident 16 years ago for China's harm to the causes of human rights was unacceptable to the European Union. China had made no improvements in its human rights record to date, with heavy restrictions on and damage being done to freedom of speech and religious freedoms, thus the United Kingdom's decision to upholding the ban on sale of weapons to China is worthy of affirmation. This is particularly so in light of China's refusal to rule out the possibility of using military force against Taiwan and China's passage of the Anti-Succession Law last March. Last year, the number of missiles deployed by China on its southeast coast reached 706. That number has reached 784 this year according to most recent figures. As this buildup continues, the peace, security and stability of the entire Asia-Pacific remains threatened.
The President said he was gratified for the stable, friendly Taiwan-UK relationship, adding that there was much room for maturity in Taiwan-UK bilateral friendly cooperative ventures, with the UK being the European country with which Taiwan has the most tourist activities. The United Kingdom is Taiwan's 15th largest trading partner as well as Taiwan's third largest trading partner among European Union nations. It is also the nation in which Taiwan invests the most among the EU nations. He also said the United Kingdom is the second largest investor in Taiwan among the EU nations.
The President said he welcomed the new representative from the United Kingdom to Taiwan Michael Reilly on the assumption of his office and looked forward to gradual improvement in the continued trade, cooperative commercial ventures, factory investments, tourism and scholarly exchanges between the two nations.
In response to concerns on the President's "proactive management and effective liberalization" cross-Strait policy stated during his New Year's Day address, he said that any nation must consider how to protect national security and defend the nation's interests and Taiwan, as an independent sovereign nation, was no exception. The discrepancy in Taiwan’s national identity and its national status has led to ambiguity over a long period of time. He said the Taiwanese cannot fool themselves and allow their national identity to be whittled away. He was clear in his New Year's Day address that the lack of clarity will not be allowed any longer.
The President believes that no one would try to stop any improvement in the cross-Strait relationship and he believes that no one would like to see China use its military against Taiwan. Still, he said that Taiwan faces the Chinese military threat and China does not recognize the existence of the Taiwan government, and attempts to deprive of its functions. Even if there are comings and goings between Beijing and Taiwan's opposition parties, it is not allowable for there to be contact between the two governments because China does not recognize the government and its leader chosen by Taiwan's people.
The President said that since he took office, he has offered more than 30 olive branches to demonstrate Taiwan's friendship and earnestness, but the response has been regrettable every time. Taiwan cannot be accepted into the non-political World Health Organization, even though Taiwan humbly sought the observer status in the World Health Assembly in the capacity of health entity. He mentioned the 1993 Koo-Wang Talks and said that after the Taiwan representative to that summit Koo Chen-fu passed away, we welcomed with the highest honors chairman of China's Association for Relations across the Taiwan Strait Wang Daohan and other representatives to come to Taiwan to offer condolences. Nevertheless, when Wang Daohan died last year it was not allowed for Taiwan to send representatives to Shanghai to offer condolences - not only were the Straits Exchange Foundation chairperson and vice chairperson refused, but neither the former secretary-general was allowed to attend. Even to this date, all officials have been refused. What could have been an opportunity to close the gap between the two sides of the Strait was politicized by the Chinese government, the President said, adding that Taiwan does not have high hopes as far as cross-Strait relations is concerned.