Your Majesty King Mswati III; the Distinguished Delegation from the Kingdom of Swaziland; Kaohsiung County Magistrate Yang and Madam Yang; Dean of the Diplomatic Corps Ambassador Sawadogo; Esteemed Colleagues; Distinguished Guests; Ladies and Gentlemen:
Good Evening! Sa-ni-Bon-Na-ni!
I am greatly honored and pleased to host tonight's state banquet in honor of Your Majesty King Mswati III and the distinguished delegation from the Kingdom of Swaziland at the National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology. On behalf of the government and the people of the Republic of China (Taiwan), I would like to once again extend our warmest welcome to Your Majesty and your distinguished delegation. The people of southern Taiwan are well known for their hospitality, and I would like to invite all our guests to join me in a round of applause to welcome His Majesty and the distinguished delegation from Swaziland.
Right after the Kingdom of Swaziland gained independence in September 1968, the year when Your Majesty were born, it established diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Thirty-eight years have passed since the establishment of diplomatic ties between our countries, and our cooperative relationship has gone from strength to strength. Your Majesty, who has reigned over the kingdom for 20 years, is visiting Taiwan for the ninth time. This is a time when Your Majesty is busily engaged in implementing political and economic reforms to pursue greater prosperity for the Kingdom of Swaziland. Hence, Your Majesty's visit to Taiwan at this time, after a long trip from southern Africa to this part of the world, proves how much importance Your Majesty attaches to your kingdom's relationship with Taiwan.
Swaziland, which has long enjoyed a reputation as the "Switzerland of Africa," is home to kind and hospitable people. In July 2002, I led a delegation to pay a state visit to the Kingdom of Swaziland and was deeply impressed by the beautiful scenery and the friendly people in your great country. When I saw Swaziland's wonderful rice paddies, cornfields, and lands planted with Taiwan's litchi, mango and watermelon bearing fruit in Swaziland--an accomplishment by both your people and our technical mission there--I was truly touched. These agricultural achievements are a symbol of the successful cooperation between our countries.
Swaziland has great potential for development. Your Majesty, a statesman with vision and ideals, enacted a new constitution this February, a move that has contributed to the advancement of democracy and the protection of human rights in the kingdom. The new constitution has also been helpful in creating a more stable social environment conducive to the economic development and the improvement of the people's welfare in Your Majesty's kingdom.
What's more, during the Job Creation Summit in Swaziland last year, Your Majesty raised 1.2 billion emalangeni's (around US$200 million) worth of capital. Most of the fund has been used to help small and medium-sized businesses so that they can offer more job opportunities for your people. Your Majesty has also sought to have Taiwan's companies invest in Swaziland, which fully demonstrates your admirable commitment to the development of the kingdom and the welfare of its people.
With our government's strong encouragement, 22 Taiwanese companies have made an investment worth more than US$60 million in Swaziland, creating over 14,000 jobs in the kingdom. These companies' investments have made considerable contribution to Swaziland's economic development, and I will be delighted to see Your Majesty's continued assistance to, and care for, Taiwanese companies in the kingdom.
Last month, a delegation from World Vision Taiwan traveled to Swaziland and donated, jointly with our government, 5,000 tons of rice as a relief effort to address a possible food shortage caused by the recent drought. This action is just one of the many examples showing how much Taiwan's people value our friendship with Swaziland.
One of the reasons that we chose the National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology to host tonight's state banquet is that we want this great metropolis of Kaohsiung to bear witness to the lasting and firm relations between Taiwan and Swaziland. We hope that the name of the most famous river in Kaohsiung--which is Love--can be the essence of the relationship between our countries forever.
The common belief in, and shared pursuit of, democracy, freedom, peace and human rights have been the firm foundation of relations between Taiwan and Swaziland. We hope that Taiwan can play a more important role in the spread of democracy globally, the protection of human rights, and the preservation of peace. We also hope that Taiwan can exert its influence to facilitate democratization in countries in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in China, and to urge China to become a responsible stakeholder in the international community.
Due to China's irrational and merciless oppression, however, Taiwan's efforts to participate in and contribute to the international community have been repeatedly thwarted. But Taiwan's people are the perseverant "yam children" who will never give up. On one hand, we want to utilize our proven strengths to creatively assist our diplomatic allies in their development. We will also continue seeking to expand our international contacts and opportunities to cooperate with other members of the international community. We will seek to fulfill our pledge to be a constructive and cooperative partner in the international arena. On the other hand, we will continue our commitment to safeguard the status quo of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the status quo of democracy, freedom, and rule of law in Taiwan.
We know that on June 11, the human rights group Amnesty International published a report pointing out that "China is fast emerging as one of the world's biggest, most secretive and irresponsible arms exporters." China's arms exports have also exacerbated brutal conflicts and criminal violence in countries such as Sudan, Nepal, and Myanmar, according to the report.
This report strengthens our belief that if China's fast emergence is not accompanied with both peaceful awakening and democratic development, the Chinese people will not be able to enjoy true democracy and full freedom. What’s more alarming is that many countries or regions in the world will also suffer as a result of China's irresponsible and immoral behavior.
Over the years, the Kingdom of Swaziland, led by Your Majesty, has supported the causes of justice and firmly backed Taiwan's efforts to join the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and other international organizations despite China's intimidation and enticements. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to express our sincerest gratitude to Your Majesty and the government and people of Swaziland. I also hope that our countries can continue working closely, based on the existing foundation, to improve our peoples' welfare.
In closing, I would like to invite everybody to join me in a toast.
To the success and health of His Majesty King Mswati III!
To the prosperity of the Kingdom of Swaziland!
And finally, to everlasting friendship between our countries!
Thank you!