President Chen Shui-bian on the afternoon of January 31 met with a delegation of parliamentarians from Germany's Bundestag at the Presidential Office. The president, on behalf of the government and people of the ROC (Taiwan), extended a cordial welcome and gratitude to the visitors. He also wished them a Happy Chinese Lunar New Year.
President Chen said that he just returned from a trip to several small islands offshore of Kinmen, namely Little Kinmen and Dadan Island, which are very close to mainland China. The president said that while the Kinmen area in the past was a battlefield, today the sounds of artillery have gone silent and have been replaced by peace bells. He said that in the past he has inspected Dadan Island five times and in 2002 issued the Dadan Declaration, urging the governments of China and Taiwan to engage in dialogue with the hope that cooperation could replace hostility and that peaceful dialogue could help resolve the differences and disputes between the two sides. Regrettably, however, the president said that what Taiwan has received instead is an increasing military threat from China, and attempts by China to isolate Taiwan diplomatically and to damage its economy.
President Chen expressed his deep appreciation for the voices coming from the German Bundestag calling for justice and the efforts and contributions made by members of the Bundestag that are friendly to Taiwan. The president noted that the Bundestag in 2004 not only passed a resolution opposing the lifting of an arms embargo among European Union nations against China, but also called on China to improve its human rights situation, peacefully resolve the dispute in the Taiwan Strait and to end its sales of weapons of mass destruction to third countries before the EU should even consider lifting its arms embargo on Beijing. President Chen also mentioned that the Bundestag has paid attention to and supported Taiwan's effort to enter the World Health Organization. While the two nations do not maintain formal diplomatic relations and there are restrictions on high-level visits between the two countries, Germany did allow Taiwan First Lady Wu Shu-jen to attend the opening of the Sons of Heaven exhibition of items from Taiwan's National Palace Museum at the Altes Museum in Berlin in July 2003. The president noted that his wife also received a warm welcome from the Bundestag on her trip. He said that while Foreign Minister James C. F. Huang has been unable to make a formal visit to Germany, he has been able to hold various meetings with persons there while in transit to other countries.
President Chen applauded German Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision to meet with the Dalai Lama last year despite the pressure and repercussions threatened by China. He said Chancellor Merkel upheld democratic values in the face of national or commercial interest. He said that interaction between Germany and China might have been slightly impacted for a short period. Nonetheless, the foreign ministers of China and Germany have already resumed dialogue in Berlin, and Chancellor Merkel plans to visit China toward the end of October. President Chen said that the end result is that Germany has not been affected by Chancellor Merkel's decision to meet with the Dalai Lama, and therefore abiding by democratic values and defending a nation's interests can be pursued in tandem with each other.
President Chen noted that Germany is Taiwan's largest trading partner in Europe and is its sixth largest global trading partner. Meanwhile, Taiwan is Germany's fourth largest Asian trading partner. In 2006, bilateral trade exceeded US$13.75 billion, marking a growth of 17% from the previous year. In addition, trade between the two countries in 2007 grew another 10%. He said he hopes the two countries will further strengthen their commercial and economic cooperation based on the existing foundation.
The delegation meeting the president included Parliamentarian Axel E. Fischer, the leader of the group, as well as Parliamentarians Ernst-Reinhard Beck and Carsten Muller.