Taipei, April 29 (CNA) Taiwan and Japan have a responsibility and an obligation to make joint efforts to consolidate Asian democracy, President Chen Shui-bian said Tuesday. The president also said he hopes to see the early establishment of an Asian democratic alliance.
President Chen made the remarks while delivering a speech at the Taiwan-Japan political parties symposium being held at the Ambassador Hotel in Taipei.
The president said that the ROC government will soon set up a foundation to promote democratic values in line with the ruling Democratic Progress Party's (DPP) desire to work with democratic political parties in various countries to contribute to peace, prosperity and stability in Asia. The formation of an Asian democratic alliance is another goal, he said.
Cooperation between international political parties will be one of the main tasks of the foundation, the president said.
Democracy, security and economics are three important factors to ensure peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region, Chen said, adding that apart from having common economic and security interests in terms of geopolitics, Taiwan and Japan have also faced similar threats and challenges.
Democracy has become a universal value and a mechanism by which disputes can be settled, Chen said. However, several non-democratic countries still exist in Asia, with their people having no freedom of speech and are unable to gain access to information, Chen said.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has not only put people at risk, it has had a serious impact on the economies of the region, specifically mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan, Chen said. SARS has shown, however, that democracy and transparency are the best defense against the disease, he said.
Saying that diseases and medical information know no boundaries, the president expressed his gratitude for Japan's support for Taiwan's bid last year to become an observer in the World Health Organization's (WHO) decision-making body, the World Health Assembly. The president said that he hopes that Japan will continue to support Taiwan's efforts to join international organizations. He added that he has confidence in Taiwan's disease prevention measures as well as in the island's ability to play a constructive role in the global disease prevention system.
Indicating that Taiwan and Japan are facing tough competition from globalization, the influence of mainland China's rapid economic growth and pressures applied by the upgrading and relocation of industries, the president called for the two countries to work together to raise their economic and trade competitiveness. He added that the earlier the two countries sign a free trade agreement, the better Taiwan and Japan can protect their interests.
Despite the fact that Taiwan and Japan have no formal diplomatic relations, the president said that the two countries have long established a stable friendship and deep relationship through people-to-people exchanges. He said that this gives both governments room to deepen their dialogues.
Meanwhile, the president said that the current symposium is one of the DPP's concrete ways to promote Taiwan-Japan relations and that he hopes that members of Japanese political parties who are participating in the gathering will be able to further promote relations between the two countries.