President Ma Ying-jeou attended the second general meeting of the Preparatory Committee for the Centenary Celebrations of the Republic of China on the morning of May 15. The president first received briefings on the state of preparations by related agencies and listened to suggestions made by committee members in attendance, after which he issued directives.
President Ma first expressed his appreciation to Vice President Vincent C. Siew, who is Preparatory Committee Chairman, and other committee members for their hard work. The president said that the joint efforts are crucial in successfully planning the series of events associated with celebrating the nation's 100th birthday, as well as winning broad-based support and participation from the public.
The president stated that the centenary must have a theme and a vision. He said that the activities must be interesting and have meaning, adding that the events should be meticulously planned and should highlight the spirit of Taiwan. Even more important, he said, is that everyone should be able to take part in the activities, regardless of party, ethnic, or political affiliation. The events should exhibit the characteristics of Taiwan, namely freedom, peace, and prosperity, he said.
President Ma also remarked that mainland China plans to hold an exhibit marking the Xinhai Revolution. Our standpoint, he said, is that each side of the Taiwan Strait should hold events separately because, while the Xinhai Revolution is of course very important, what matters most is that this event led to the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty and the establishment of the Republic of China. President Ma stressed that as of next year, the ROC government will have been located in Taiwan in 62 of the past 100 years. Never before has an ethnically Chinese society achieved what has been done by the ROC in Taiwan—the establishment of freedom, democracy, and a pluralistic and open society. The progress made in this regard has been extraordinary, he said. While things may not be perfect, the achievement is nevertheless rare among ethnic Chinese communities and we should do our utmost to highlight the significance of this event, he emphasized.
Vice President Vincent C. Siew participated in the event in his capacity as Chairman of the Preparatory Committee. He made remarks to the gathering, noting that the celebration of the nation's centenary should put on display the ROC's power as a nation, and the soft power of its culture, as we look back on the past 100 years. The various events should enable the public and the international community to understand the value of the development of Taiwan in so many areas. The celebration should help to forge consensus among the public and embrace hope, dreams, and a forward-looking spirit as part of our developmental vision, he said.
The vice president said that celebration activities will be divided into three portions, namely 1) having the public interpret history (looking at the past); 2) having the world take note of Taiwan (looking at the present); and 3) moving forward hand-in-hand (looking at the future). The planning of related events will rely on the pooling of resources from the government at the central and local levels, as well as the private sector, he said. The vice president expressed his hopes that the celebrations will interest everyone in taking part.
Vice President Siew chaired the meeting in the morning. Premier Wu Den-yih, Minister without Portfolio Ovid J. L. Tzeng, Presidential Secretary-General Liouyi Liao, and Council for Cultural Affairs Minister Emile Chih-jen Sheng—serving concurrently as CEO of the Centenary Foundation—accompanied the vice president.