President Chen Shui-bian met with three parliamentarians of German Social Democratic Party (SPD) on August 23 at the Office of the President. He told his guests that the formation of the German coalition government is an exemplary case Taiwan can learn from.
The president first praised the cabinet system of Germany as a successful case of its kind, adding that the operation and the underlying philosophy of its coalition government, formed through partisan negotiation last September after the parliamentary election, is paradigmatic. Taiwan's current constitutional system, he added, is neither a presidential nor a cabinet one, nor a dual-head, and he himself does not exclude any possibilities regarding the final selection of the constitutional order.
He said he also admired the successful integration of the European Union (EU), which is based on the principles of "sovereignty, democracy, peace, and parity," adding that the future development of the Taiwan-China relations should adhere to the same four principles.
During the meeting, the president also thanked the German parliament for passing a resolution opposing EU's plan to lift the arms embargo against China in October 2004, stressing that a lifting of this embargo means no other than encouraging an undemocratic China to attack Taiwan, which is democratic and peace-loving.
As to Taiwan's democracy, the president pointed out to his guests that Taiwan, a new democratic country, never regrets the price it has paid in its transition from an authoritarian rule to democracy. "Taiwan is walking on the right path," he said.
Germany is Taiwan's largest trade partner in Europe and sixth largest in the world, and their two-way trade reached US$11.7 billion in 2005. Germany has also been assisting Taiwan with its national development, including the mass rapid transit systems in Taipei and Kaohsiung, and the Taiwan high-speed railway, which is scheduled for operation this October.
The guests included Engelbert Wistuba, Renate Gradistanac, and Maik Reichel, whose visit to the Office of the President was accompanied by Taiwan's Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Chang Siao-yue. Deputy Secretary-General to the President Liu Shyh-fang was also present in the meeting.