On November 24th, President Chen Shui-bian met with Therese Shaheen, former Chairwoman of the Board and Managing Director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), and her family.
President Chen expressed his thanks to Shaheen for her comments on Taiwan's current political situation in her article "Taiwan's 'Refuse-to-Lose' Crowd" published in the Nov. 8 issue of the Wall Street Journal. Shaheen responded that she has much confidence in Taiwan's pursuit of freedom and democracy by the people of Taiwan, and that for the rest of the world, Taiwan is as bright as a pearl. She said she hopes that the Taiwanese people can be as confident in themselves as she and President Chen are.
President Chen indicated that he believes not only in the people of Taiwan, but also in its democracy, of which the root lies in freedom and rule of law. Referring to the mass demonstrations against him in recent months, President Chen said it is totally acceptable to challenge the president as long as people abide by the procedures of the Constitution, adding that he applauds Taiwan's democracy and the maturity its people have shown.
In response, Shaheen indicated that the United States democracy was also intensified after the turmoil, citing the event of the impeachment of former US President Bill Clinton in the late 1990s. "Whatever does not kill you, makes you stronger," she added.