President Ma Ying-jeou attended the essay presentation at the Second Global Initiatives Symposium in Taiwan 2010 (GIS Taiwan 2010). After delivering a speech in English to attendees at the international student conference, the president presented certificates to the most outstanding participants at this year's event and later engaged in a discussion with all the participants.
In his speech the president recalled how, as a third-year student at the National Taiwan University College of Law, he was selected for an exchange program to visit the United States as a student representative of the Asian Pacific region. During that trip he visited over 10 universities in the US and stayed with a host family there. His hosts thought Taiwan was somewhere in Indochina, and the experience made him realize that only by dealing with people from another culture can we appreciate and respect everyone's differences with an open mind. He said it was an eye-opener for him, and noted that the GIS symposium similarly offers youth from around the world an invaluable opportunity for interaction with other cultures.
The president stated that Taiwan's people are its most valuable asset, and mentioned some notable examples. Yen-hsun Lu, a Taiwanese tennis pro, advanced to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon by beating fifth-seeded Andy Roddick, and became the first Asian to reach a Wimbledon quarterfinal since Shuzo Matsuoka of Japan in 1995. Ms. Chen Shu-chu, who makes a living as a vegetable vendor in Taitung City, was selected as one of "the 100 most influential people in the world" by Time magazine for her charity donations. And Lin Yu-chun, who took part in a televised contest for amateur singers, became an international sensation after his performances went viral on YouTube, prompting many to liken him to Susan Boyle of Britain. The president pointed out that these outstanding people have showcased Taiwan's soft power to the world.
President Ma said that in addition to improving cross-strait relations and signing an Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) with mainland China, since coming to office his administration has re-established trust at the highest levels in its relations with the United States, Japan, and Europe. He further added that he is confident Taiwan's soft power will win it the respect and support of the international community.