President Chen Shui-bian received a delegation of Taiwan's expatriates in Japan at the Office of the President on March 16, extending his warmest welcome, inviting them to join the "March for Democracy and Peace" protest, and stressing the importance of overseas solidarity.
After greeting the guests, the president dwelt on recent development of Taiwanese-Japanese relations, citing the inclusion of cross-strait issues into the US-Japan Security Consultative Committee meeting, Japan's support to Taiwan's participation as an observer in the World Health Assembly and its granting of permanent visa-free privilege to Taiwan tourists, etc.
Speaking of these favors rendered by the Japanese government, the president told the guests that, following the downfall of the cold war, geopolitics and strategic considerations have lost their footholds in international politics. "Instead," the president continued, "universal values like freedom, democracy, human rights, and peace have become the common convictions and framework shared and enjoyed by all, and Taiwan and Japan are standing on the same ground in this regard."
Therefore, democracy, peace, and human rights are what the president always bears in mind when it comes to the issue of Taiwan's future. "More than 80 percent of Taiwan's citizens support the idea that the country's future should be decided by none other than the 23 million citizens on the island, which attests to the fact that democracy and popular sovereignty have deeply taken roots in Taiwan's civil society," the president gladly said.
The president then emphasized to the guests that the international community is no longer tilting the regional balance in China's favor. "The international community is no longer silent over China's threat of using military force against Taiwan and its human rights violations," the president said, and added that "China can win global respect only if it practices democracy and cherishes peace in its rising."
However, faced with the Chinese missiles aiming at Taiwan, Taiwan and its citizens will never seek to settle for a cheap yet undemocratic resolution. The president welcomed the guest to walk hand in hand with the people in the "March for Democracy and Peace to Protect Taiwan" protest, to be held on March 18, the coming weekend. "I myself will join the march, and all of us, irrespective of our ages, genders, and partisan affiliations, will be protecting Taiwan with democracy and peace," the president reassured the guests with firm determination.
"We can understand some people's nostalgic indulgence in the old times. However, democracy is a way of no return, on which we have insisted, and, by which, we will finally win our people and the world's recognition," concluded the president.