President Chen attended the dinner banquet by the ECCT. Full text of his speech follows:
Chairman Scheller, Director McDonald, Ambassadors and Representatives, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen:
Good evening!
It gives me great pleasure to be invited once again to the dinner banquet hosted by the European Chamber of Commerce Taipei to celebrate European Day with friends from countries throughout Europe.
It is well known that former French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman proposed the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community on May 9, 1950. This gained the support of Belgium, West Germany, Luxembourg, France, Italy, and the Netherlands and thus laid the foundation for what eventually became the European Union. In 1985, at a meeting of the Council of the European Union in Milan, Italy, a resolution was passed designating May 9 as European Day, marking the birthday of the European Union.
On behalf of Taiwan's 23 million people, I would like to extend my sincerest congratulations to the 450 million people of the European Union's 25 member states. Happy birthday to the European Union, and may Europe enjoy eternal peace, progress, and prosperity.
While Europe's integration over the past half century has been driven primarily by economic cooperation, its original motivation was the pursuit of long-lasting peace in Europe.
Previously, Germany and France, for example, had fought with each other three times between 1870 and 1945. These included the two nations' participation in the two world wars, which were responsible for the heaviest casualties in humankind's history. This ultimately led to the profound realization among many European leaders that the revival, development, and prosperity of Europe could only be constructed on the foundation of permanent peace. Wars and conquests would not bring honor to any country in Europe but would only result in endless suffering and the huge sacrifice of life and property.
I just concluded a trip aimed at promoting peace and strengthening ties with our allies and returned to Taiwan an hour ago. I came here to join tonight's celebration without having taken any rest. This signifies the great importance that the Taiwan government and I attach to the European Day.
During the trip, I visited Paraguay, Taiwan's only diplomatic ally in South America, and attended the inauguration ceremony of the newly elected Costa Rican President Oscar Arias. I also made transit stops in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, Amsterdam in the Netherlands and San Domingo in the Dominican Republic and paid visits to Libya and Indonesia, both countries with which Taiwan currently does not have diplomatic relations.
I had originally hoped to make a short visit to Lebanon's capital, Beirut, which is famed as "the Paris of the Middle East," but had to change my plans due to China's relentless obstruction. While not everything went as we might have wished, we made great efforts and are satisfied with the results, and it was a successful trip.
I was particularly pleased and gratified to have been able to attend Dr. Oscar Arias's inauguration to convey the good wishes and respects of the people of Taiwan. After being elected president for the first time in 1986, Dr. Arias proposed drafting the Central American Peace Plan, which, through his tremendous efforts, was signed in 1987 by five Central American states: Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Costa Rica. For this, the 46-year-old Arias was awarded the 1987 Nobel Peace Prize.
The valuable experiences and examples of the European Union and Central America prove once again that only peace can bring about development, prosperity, and happiness. War and the use of force, no matter what excuse or reason is given for them, can only intensify feelings of hatred and estrangement between nations and cause irretrievable losses as well as pain for their people.
The people of Taiwan love peace and yearn for lasting peace in the Taiwan Strait. For over half a century, there has indeed been "one China"--a totalitarian China. At the same time, on the other side of the Strait, there has also existed a democratic Taiwan. Totalitarian China and democratic Taiwan are two sovereign nations, and neither is subordinate to the other. Each has its own national flag, national moniker, and national anthem, and each has its own constitution, government, military, and judicial system. This, for over half a century, has been the peaceful status quo in the Taiwan Strait.
The sole threat to this status quo is totalitarian China, which has never ceased in its attempts to invade and annex democratic Taiwan by force. Taiwan is decidedly not the troublemaker for regional peace and stability; rather, it is the staunch protector and defender of the peaceful status quo in the Taiwan Strait.
At present, China has deployed more than 800 tactical guided missiles targeting Taiwan on the opposite side of the Taiwan Strait. That number is four-fold what it was when I took office as president in 2000.
Meanwhile, in an attempt to provide a legal basis for the use of force against Taiwan and to solve cross-strait issues by non-peaceful means, China passed the so-called anti-separation law on March 14 last year ignoring unceasing opposition from the international community.
In addition, the People's Liberation Army of China has completed plans for a three-stage invasion of Taiwan. These plans state clearly that the PLA is to establish contingency response combat capabilities by 2007; build up combat capabilities for large-scale military engagements by 2010; and be ready to ensure victory in a decisive battle with Taiwan by 2015.
Facts like these indicate that a totalitarian, militaristic, and belligerent China is not only the destroyer of the peaceful status quo in the Taiwan Strait, but also the foremost potential threat and challenge to regional and world peace.
The 20th-century history of Europe showed more than once that appeasing dictators and ignoring their violations of human rights only encourage further aggression. Such actions lead, inevitably, to the tragedy that is war.
Today, China is at a crossroads. Does it wish to press on with its militaristic totalitarianism? Or, does it wish to embrace the universal values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and peace, and strive to be a responsible stakeholder? This choice is crucial as it concerns the well-being of China's 1.3 billion people and because it will directly affect development across the globe in the 21st century. Helping totalitarian China to gradually evolve into a democracy is not only an issue that affects Taiwan but also a question that all nations need to pay attention to and consider carefully.
We must not repeat past mistakes, and we must not allow past tragedies to reoccur. Isolating Taiwan, suppressing Taiwan, and even sacrificing Taiwan cannot possibly bring about cross-strait peace. Only by guiding China to accelerate its political reform and democratization can an opportunity for lasting peace be created for both the Taiwan Strait and the world.
We feel confident in declaring that peace is not simply our only choice but, moreover, it is something we are determined to preserve. We hope that all nations that love peace and freedom, including those of the European Union, will work together to create a more democratic and peaceful world.
I would like to once again thank the European Chamber of Commerce and its esteemed members for your longstanding support of Taiwan. Over the past decade, you have been witnesses to Taiwan's democratic and economic transformation as you helped strengthen Taiwan's substantive relations with Europe, and you have made invaluable contributions to the friendship between Taiwan and Europe. We look forward to both sides continuing to work hard to take our relationship to new heights.
In closing, let me wish each of our distinguished guests and friends good health and success in all of your endeavors. Thank you.