Welcoming Remarks at the Banquet on the Eve of the First Global Forum on New Democracies
Chen Shui-bian
President
Republic of China (Taiwan)
January 24, 2008
Your Excellency Flores, former President of El Salvador and Madam Flores; Your Excellency Kim, former President of the Republic of Korea and Madam Kim; Your Excellency Wałęsa, former President of Poland; Your Excellency Constantinescu, former President of Romania; Your Excellency de Klerk, former President of South Africa and Madam de Klerk; Vice President Lu; Premier Chang, Legislative Speaker Wang; President of the Examination Yuan Yao; Your Excellencies Envoys to Taiwan; Distinguished Guests:
Good evening to you all!
It is a great pleasure and an honor for us to welcome, on behalf of the government and the 23 million people of Taiwan, the former heads of state and first ladies of five new democracies at this "feast of democracies" in Taipei 101, the world's tallest completed skyscraper, on the eve of the First Global Forum on New Democracies. You have traveled thousands of miles to attend this forum in Taiwan out of your firm belief in and deep concern for democracy and freedom. I am moved by your commitment, and extend a warm welcome to you who are the champions of democracy. Thank you all for coming.
There are three good reasons for holding this banquet in Taipei 101. First, as Taipei 101 is the tallest completed building in the world, this banquet for democratic leaders "on the top of the world" symbolizes that, even with its flaws and weaknesses, democracy is still the best system of government available to humanity. As Sir Winston Churchill famously said, "rulers who try to govern without democracy eventually discover that none of the alternative systems works as well."
Second, not only is Taiwan hit by typhoons every year, but it also experiences frequent earthquakes due to its location on the circum-Pacific seismic belt. In fact, there is a 10-meter thick fault line located just 200 meters from Taipei 101. So this skyscraper required a design that would make it capable of withstanding both typhoon winds and earthquake tremors. Indeed, the construction of Taipei 101 called for extraordinary innovations on the part of the engineers, who used the most advanced technology in skyscraper construction to overcome nature's challenges.
The development and progress of new democracies can be likened to the construction of Taipei 101. Every new democracy is faced with its unique challenges and limitations, and is required to sweat blood in order to move forward through stormy and volatile periods. Vigilance, wisdom, determination, stamina, and creativity are all essential if new democracies are to weather the "typhoons" and "earthquakes" of their regions, and stand tall and firm like this skyscraper no matter how strong the winds and tremors may be.
Third, we believe that dreams and conviction are greater than any number of obstacles. Originally, this building was going to be called Taipei World Financial Center because we wanted to turn Taipei's Hsinyi District, which not long ago was a backwater, into the Manhattan of Taipei. The planning and construction of the skyscraper began when I was the mayor of Taipei. Taipei 101 is Taiwan's first successful BOT (build-operate-transfer) project as well as the first record-setting skyscraper to be constructed in the 21st century. I was sworn in as the mayor of Taipei in December 1994 and promptly established a task force to plan the construction of this skyscraper in 1995. The bid for the BOT contract was won in 1997, building began in 1998, and in 2004, Taipei 101 was officially opened. So the whole process took just seven years. The Taipei City Government earned NT$20 billion in royalties from the project, and used this windfall to significantly improve the city's transportation infrastructure, building, for example, the Hsinyi Branch of the northern section of National Highway No. 3 and Zhoumei Highway.
It is because we refused to give up on realizing our dream that Taipei 101 towers before us today. It has become a landmark of Taiwan and the pride of our people. Aside from being the world's tallest completed skyscraper, Taipei 101 also features the world's highest outdoor observation deck, the fastest elevators that travel at 60 kilometers per hour, and the world's largest tuned mass damper, a pendulum that sways to offset movements in the building caused by strong wind gusts. This pendulum is also the only giant tuned mass damper in the world that visitors can see close-up. Moreover, Taipei 101 has the world's largest countdown clock for New Year's Eve. Every year, fireworks launched from the tower on December the 31st draw tens of thousands of people to the area, bringing New Year celebrations in the capital to a spectacular climax.
Just as the engineers who built Taipei 101 never gave up their dream, each of the leaders assembled here for the First Global Forum on New Democracies are "engineers of democracy" who believed in their vision. The predicaments and frustrations new democracies experience are well known to you. Yet you did not allow your passion and hopes for democracy to diminish.
We share a dream that, one day, all the peoples of the world will enjoy the fruits of democracy and breathe the air of freedom. And it is this dream that unites and brings us together here tonight. I believe that if we persist and remain steadfast, our new democracies will overcome every hurdle they face and rise from ground zero to the top of the world.
Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, I would like to invite you all to join me in a toast: To the health and happiness of the leaders! And to the resounding success of the First Global Forum on New Democracies! Long live democracy! Long live the people! Thank you.