Most respected Chairman Koo of this Forum and Chairman of Chinatrust; Chairman Kim (Kihwan) of KOPEC; Chairman Romulo from the Philippines, Vice Premier Wu, Chairman Hong of Taiwan Institute of Economic Research; Distinguished Guests; Ladies and Gentlemen:
Good Afternoon!
I am delighted and honored to be invited by the "Chinese Taipei Pacific Economic Cooperation Committee (CTPECC)" to commence the "20th Pacific Economic Cooperation Seminar," organized by CTPECC and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) is a cooperative partnership comprised of leaders from business and industry, government, academic and other intellectual circles in Pacific countries; it puts together "first track" and "second track" organizational structures to promote economic cooperation among member economies to fulfill the ultimate goal of regional integration. On behalf of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the people of Taiwan, I would like to express my highest regards for the active role PECC has played and the outstanding contributions this distinguished organization has made.
This year marks the 25th Anniversary of PECC's establishment and the 20th year since Taiwan became a member of this organization. Accession to PECC was a pivotal achievement in Taiwan's efforts to foster economic diplomacy with the rest of the world; and our active participation in PECC has since been at the forefront of Taiwan's diplomatic outreach.
Recently, US President Bush delivered a speech in Kyoto, Japan, and he made the following remarks to praise Taiwan's democracy. He said: "By embracing freedom at all levels, Taiwan has delivered prosperity to its people and created a free and democratic Chinese society." He further stated emphatically that economic liberalization in Taiwan has helped fuel its desire of individual political freedom—because men and women who are allowed to control their own wealth will eventually insist on controlling their own lives and their own future.
We note also that last week, Taiwan's Government Information Office released the results of a recent poll that was conducted by an US-based organization. More than half of the respondents and opinion leaders polled from US, Japan, Great Britain, France and Germany view Taiwan more favorably than China. Results of the survey also indicate that interviewees from more than half of the countries in the European Union consider Taiwan to be a country suitable for business investments.
I firmly believe that Taiwan's democratic achievements and economic strengths are the most cherished assets of our 23 million people of Taiwan—they provide the impetus for Taiwan to march into the world and the inspiration for the world to reach out to Taiwan. In this context, PECC serves as the bridge that connects Taiwan to the Pacific Economic Community.
I have on many occasions reaffirmed the importance of building a "Pacific Economic Community," for "democracy, economy and prosperity" are our common aspirations and the three pillars that support the establishment of "PECC." Taiwan is an integral part of the Pacific region, and therefore should not be absent from the building process of this Pacific Economic Community. In view of the treacherous and volatile international situation confronting Taiwan and China's relentless repression, Taiwan needs to take advantage of existing platforms provided by international organizations and NGOs to fulfill our responsibilities to the international community and to make positive contributions to regional economic prosperity.
The 16th PECC General Meeting under the leadership of Dr. Kim Kihwan was successfully held in Korea. The theme of this meeting was "Towards a Pacific Community: Renewing the Commitment." It appealed to all PECC member economies to reflect on the goals and commitments of building a "Pacific Community" on the occasion of PECC's 25th Anniversary.
No long ago, APEC also held its annual meeting in Busan, South Korea. However, due to China's obstruction, I was deprived of my right to participate in the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, and my efforts to send Speaker Wang of the Legislative Yuan to represent me at the meeting were also unduly thwarted by China's interference.
However, in order to play a constructive role in APEC, Taiwan refuses to be sidelined. I had since designated Mr. Lin Hsin-Yi, the Convener of the Presidential Economic Advisory Group and also a Presidential Senior Advisor, to be my representative to attend the APEC Economic Leader's Meeting; and he had, during the meeting, proactively put forward many important initiatives advocated by Taiwan.
I have always believed that economic prosperity epitomizes the progress of civilization that should be shared by all humanity and be kept impervious to political interference. This conviction has motivated the Taiwan government to make every effort to participate in PECC. The theme of this year's seminar is "Asia-Pacific versus East Asian Integration"—it resonates with the vision I have to promote "democracy, economy and prosperity" as the three pillars that support the "Pacific Economic Community." I have great expectations that this seminar will enable the general public to gain a deeper understanding of the significance of PECC and bring to light the importance of building a "Pacific Economic Community."
In closing, I would like to thank our distinguished guests, Dr. Kim and Mr. Romulo, for coming to Taiwan in spite of their busy schedules. I hope this seminar brings Taiwan, South Korea and the Philippines ever closer and it is also my earnest hope that the enduring friendship we share can be extended to all PECC member economies. Let us work hand in hand to welcome the advent of the next 25 great years of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council.
Once again, thank you and I wish this seminar great success.