Your Majesty King Mswati III of the Kingdom of Swaziland; Your Excellency Blaise Compaoré, President of Burkina Faso; Your Excellency Fradique de Menezes, President of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe; Your Excellency Bingu wa Mutharika, President of the Republic of Malawi; Your Excellency Aja Isatou Nije-Saidy, Vice President of the Republic of The Gambia; Vice President Lu; Premier Chang; Legislative Speaker Wang; Judicial Yuan President Wong; Esteemed Foreign Ministers and Ambassadors; Distinguished Guests; Ladies and Gentlemen:
Good evening to you all!
With the lively participation of the leaders of our allies, the historic First Taiwan-African Heads of State Summit has drawn to a successful conclusion with the passing of the Taipei Declaration and the resultant Action Plan. The leaders unanimously agree that, in the future, relations between Taiwan and its African allies will march toward an ever-stronger progressive partnership. On behalf of the government and the 23 million people of Taiwan, I would like to once again welcome and express our gratitude to the leaders of Africa who have traveled thousands of miles to Taiwan to play a leading role in this milestone event.
Tonight's state banquet is very special, as it is the first to take place in Taipei 101, the world's tallest completed building. We are extremely honored and pleased to present to Taiwan's closest friends and dearest brothers our first state banquet in the world's tallest skyscraper, surrounded by the glittering, spectacular night view of our capital city, Taipei. The words "I Love Africa" are shown on this skyscraper now. I would like to invite you to give a round of applause to thank the most beautiful Chairwoman of Taipei 101 Diana Chen.
The planning and beginning of the construction of Taipei 101 took place when I was mayor of Taipei. The planning process alone took three years to complete. This historic building, the first build-operate-transfer (BOT) project in Taiwan, bears testament to the spirit of "creating something from nothing" and "fulfilling miracles against all odds." It is with this tireless and adventurous spirit that the people of Taiwan hope to join hands with the people of our African allies to overcome difficulties and obstacles, reach new pinnacles, and plant the seeds of hope and prosperity, letting them sprout and flourish in our lands.
Four days ago, Taiwanese pitcher Wang Chien-ming for the New York Yankees grabbed his 17th win, crowning him a king among pitchers of the Major League Baseball this season. His stunning performance has thrilled countless fans, and making us immensely proud of him. I don't know how many of you remember, but when the season started, he had to sit out of the games for three weeks due to injuries. By the time he returned to the field and made his first win, another pitcher had already accumulated five wins under his belt. At that time, few expected Wang to surface as the league's "pitching king" this year.
However, over the months Wang quietly worked his way up the ranks. He caught up with the other leading pitchers and, four days ago, won his resounding 17th game. In consideration of his late start yet ability to reach the forefront, people find the accomplishments of this "king pitcher" even more endearing and are deeply moved by his perseverance and commitment.
In fact, be it the career of a pitcher or the development of a country, from either we can see that late starters do not always stay behind. Getting a late start is ok, as long as we don't let ourselves become dejected. If we unite, work hard, and remain confident, victory will surely be ours. What's more, success achieved under the most adverse circumstances is far more cherished than that obtained through an easy head start. In keeping with the "son of Taiwan" spirit, we will make our best endeavors to assist in the development of our African allies. I hope that the assiduous efforts by Taiwan and its allies will someday make us all "pitching kings" in the international community.
Meanwhile, the 62nd session of the UN General Assembly is scheduled to commence ten days from now. This year, we have applied for UN membership under the name "Taiwan" for the first time. A referendum on the use of "Taiwan" for UN membership will also be held in conjunction with next year's presidential election. It is our hope that through direct democracy, namely referendum, the world may hear the Taiwan people personally voicing their desire to join the UN and the international community.
On the eve of the UN General Assembly, I believe that the world has seen the collective, powerful support of our African allies for Taiwan's entry into the UN as demonstrated during the First Taiwan-African Heads of State Summit. Our friends in Africa have chosen to stand by our just and moral cause, thereby helping us remove the thistles and thorns along the path of our quest for international participation. Over the years, the leaders of our African allies have even attended the General Assembly in person to speak on behalf of the people of Taiwan and back Taiwan's participation in the UN and other international organizations. On behalf of the government and 23 million people of Taiwan, I would like to express our highest respect and most heartfelt gratitude to all the leaders, governments, and people of our African allies.
In closing, I would like to invite Vice President and Premier Chang, Legislative Speaker Wang, and Judicial Yuan President Wong--the heads of three branches of our government--to proceed onto the stage, and all of you to join me in a toast: to the success and good health of the heads of state of our African allies, to the prosperity of Taiwan and its friends in Africa, and to the everlasting friendship between our countries! Thank you.