President Chen Shui-bian attended a celebration party marking the 185th anniversary of the independence of Central American nations on September 15 in Taipei.
In addition to extending his best regards and appreciation to Taiwan's Central American allies--El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, President Chen said that in the future, Taiwan would strengthen economic cooperation with its Central American allies.
President Chen said that Taiwan has already signed Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with Guatemala and Nicaragua and is undertaking FTA negotiation with El Salvador, Honduras and Costa Rica. He added that closer economic cooperation and the signing of Free Trade Agreements would lead to more Taiwanese investment in Central America.
The full content of his speech is as follows:
Your Excellency Santana Berrios, Ambassador of the Republic of El Salvador; Your Excellency Marlene Villela de Talbott, Ambassador of the Republic of Honduras; Your Excellency Jorge Ricardo Puteseys, Ambassador of the Republic of Guatemala; Your Excellency Juan Marcos Garcis Borgen, Ambassador of the Republic of Nicaragua; Your Excellency Francisco Wu, Chargé d'Affaires of the Republic of Costa Rica; Distinguished Guests; Ladies and Gentlemen:
It is a great honor for me to have been invited by Your Excellencies to participate in the reception celebrating the 185th anniversary of Central American independence. First of all, on behalf of the people and government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), I would like to express my most sincere congratulations to Your Excellencies and your respective peoples and governments.
I have visited Taiwan's diplomatic allies in Central America several times during my presidency. I experienced the diverse cultures and traditions of the region and was fortunate enough to be accorded with the warm hospitality and courtesy of the people and government of your great countries. I would like to take this opportunity to express to you my heartfelt appreciation. In recent years, with wise and brilliant leadership, and with the hard work of the people, there have been marked achievements and improvements made in the politics, economies, societies and cultures of Central American countries. Furthermore, you are actively striving to integrate yourselves into regional and global economic systems. All of these efforts are truly admirable, and I firmly believe that Central America can overcome any current and future challenges because democracy and freedom are firmly rooted in the region.
Taiwan has a history that is similar to its Central American allies in that we too once lived in the shadows of authoritarian rule. While our people now enjoy freedoms and have moved towards democracy, we have suffered in times when there was no democracy, no freedom and no justice. But now, under the glow of democracy, we can see clearly the brutal scars that dictatorship has left on the face of history. And so it is today that we cherish democracy and freedom, values that Taiwan shares in our partnership with our Central American allies. It is on these two pillars, of democracy and freedom, that we will expand and deepen our relations.
This May, I led a delegation to attend the inauguration of President Oscar Arias Sanchez of Costa Rica, who is a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. In his 1987 Nobel Lecture, President Arias pointed out that "Latin America has never known a single war between two democracies." Hence, democracy can serve as the best defensive shield for peace in Taiwan. In the face of military and verbal threats from China, Taiwan must therefore continue to consolidate and deepen its democracy. We call on the Chinese leaders to abandon their restraints on freedom and to increase the pace of democratization. In the future of cross-strait relations, only a "democratic Taiwan" and a "democratic China" can contribute to long-term peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Asia Pacific region as a whole.
The 61st session of the UN General Assembly was held three days ago. Taiwan's allies brought forward two proposals: the question of the representation and participation of the 23 million people of Taiwan in the United Nations and; the proactive role of the UN in maintaining peace and security in East Asia region. Even though these proposals did not make it onto the General Assembly agenda, we will not get frustrated and give up. On the contrary, we will be more creative in our thinking and come up with new strategies, and we will continue to strive for the day when Taiwan becomes a formal member of the United Nations.
For many years, our allies have spared no effort in speaking out for the 23 million people of Taiwan in the United Nations, the World Health Organization and other international organizations, where we have no voice. Our allies have also stood up in support of Taiwan's bid for participation in the international community, for which we are extremely grateful and will never forget. I would like to take this opportunity to express my utmost appreciation to and respect for the people and governments of our Central American allies.
Since Your Excellencies took office in Taiwan as Ambassadors from Central America, you have been working hard and have enjoyed good relationships within the political and economic circles here. I want to show my gratitude and respect to Your Excellencies for the great contributions you have made in promoting political relations, economic and trade investments, and cultural exchanges between our countries. In the future, I am more than willing to continue to work closely with Your Excellencies to strengthen cooperation between Taiwan and its Central American allies.
In terms of economic and trade cooperation, Taiwan has already signed Free Trade Agreements with Guatemala and Nicaragua, and Free Trade Agreements are under negotiation with El Salvador, Honduras and Costa Rica. Through official state visits and the signing of Free Trade Agreements, we expect more Taiwanese investors to establish factories in your great countries, thus helping our allies in Central America with economic development and job creation. I am convinced that on these solid foundations, the existing relations between Taiwan and our allies in Central America will become even closer and more stable in the years to come.
In closing, I hope that I will once again have the opportunity to visit our allies in Central America. I also wish the heads of state of our five Central American allies good health and national prosperity. And I wish all distinguished guests good health and every success! Thank you!