President Ma Ying-jeou held a press conference at the National University of Tainan, in southern Taiwan, on the morning of May 19 to mark the third anniversary of his inauguration, and also delivered an address focusing on the issues of sovereignty, human rights, and environmental rights. Youth and student representatives from the Tainan area were invited to attend the event. The following is the full text of the president's speech:
1. Preface
I am delighted today to be in Tainan. Tainan is a cultural capital dating back centuries, offers lovely scenery, and is a center of learning and refinement. The city is home to Fort Provintia, Fort Zeelandia, the Eternal Fortress, and Koxinga Shrine. Phoenix flowers in bloom in summer throughout Tainan, and the eating here is fantastic. These are important cultural assets of Tainan, and local residents take great pride in them. Tainan is where Chinese settlers first arrived, and became the political, economic, and cultural center of Taiwan during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The Confucius Temple in Tainan ran what was known as "The Principal School of Taiwan," and has over the centuries played an important role in passing down Confucian culture. The heavens have protected Tainan and made it a place where culture thrives and outstanding talent is cultivated. The annual press conference to mark the anniversary of my inauguration was held at the Presidential Office Building the last two years, but we decided to hold it this year at the National University of Tainan, and I couldn't be more delighted to be here!
Over the past three years, Taiwan has experienced the effects of the global financial tsunami, the August 2009 flooding and landslides in eastern and southern Taiwan caused by Typhoon Morakot, and the outbreak of the H1N1 strain of influenza. But we have not been defeated by these hardships. We have boldly faced these challenges and have overcome them. Taiwan is now experiencing its strongest economic growth in over 20 years. Look at employment, for example. The number of jobs is on the rise and we are increasingly facing shortage of labor rather than a shortage of jobs. Meanwhile, salaries are also gradually rising. The overall economy has already begun to return to the vitality it exhibited in the past.
On May 18, Switzerland's International Institute for Management Development (IMD) released its World Competitiveness Yearbook 2011. Taiwan was ranked sixth in the world in competitiveness and third in Asia. The nation, which already vaulted 15 places to No.8 last year, has further risen to the sixth slot this year. This is the best performance for Taiwan in the 17 years that it has been included in the survey, thanks to the efforts of the entire population. The world is recognizing the excellence of Taiwan.
Even so, I still continually ask myself where we need to further improve and where our efforts have still been insufficient. I constantly encourage the people in my administration to reflect on these things and to humbly face any criticism. This is the only way we can rectify mistakes and continue to move forward.
Over the past 1,000-plus days, I have always kept in mind the mandate placed upon me by over seven million voters in Taiwan. I have not forgotten my responsibility to our 23 million residents. The people desire peace between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, a vibrant economy, and a clean government. We have made every effort to gradually realize each one of these objectives. We deeply understand that the government's duty is to look out not only for the interests of the present generation, but also for those of generations to come. The government should not adopt measures that will negatively impact opportunities for the next generation, but rather should work to create a foundation for happiness and wellbeing for those who will come after us. This is what we mean in passing the torch, and this is what we refer to as "intergenerational justice."
On the eve of the third anniversary of my inauguration, I would like to take advantage of this opportunity to discuss, from the perspective of "intergenerational justice," three things we must safeguard to foster sustainable development for the nation—sovereignty, human rights, and environmental rights. Safeguarding each one of these rights is in the interest of Taiwan, but is not easy to achieve. Genuine concern for future generations is required if we are to see results.
2. Intergenerational responsibilities
(1) Sovereignty and peace
I want to first discuss sovereignty. Sovereignty concerns national security and dignity for the people. It transcends political affiliations and is something that everyone should work together to defend and protect. The Republic of China is a sovereign and independent nation, and Taiwan is our home. Over the past several decades, the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have been mired in conflict and confrontation. Mainland China has threatened Taiwan's security and intentionally sought to reduce space for Taiwan to crowd Taiwan off the world stage.
Over the past three years, we have, under the framework of the ROC Constitution, turned to the 1992 Consensus as the foundation of an active effort to improve cross-strait relations. This has been carried out under the principles of "parity, dignity, and reciprocity." These efforts have helped to gradually transform the Taiwan Strait from a military flashpoint into an avenue of peace.
The objective of improving relations with mainland China is to pursue a peaceful and prosperous environment for Taiwan. The coming generation will not enjoy development without peace and prosperity. Mainland China of course is a threat to Taiwan. The mainland's economic rise, however, has also brought opportunities for Taiwan. Mainland China is the world's second largest economy. It is not only the world's factory floor, but is gradually turning into the world's market. Past experience has told us that closing the country off to mainland China is impossible to achieve, and in fact harms the interests of Taiwan.
Taiwan and mainland China have signed 15 agreements over the past three years. I ask you which agreement has not achieved the objective of "putting Taiwan first for the benefit of the people?" Some people criticize me as cozying up to mainland China and selling out Taiwan. I ask you, please look at each of the 15 agreements. In which one have we cozied up to mainland China? In which one have we sold out Taiwan?
Let's take the Cross-Strait Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement , for example. Over the past 10 years, the number of scam operations in Taiwan has increased by a factor of five, with the greatest number of scams occurring in 2006. The hoodlums stole over NT$18 billion of the public's money, and the majority of the phone calls by scammers came from mainland China, which made it impossible for us to catch the lawbreakers. Two years ago, however, investigative and police agencies from the two sides of the Taiwan Strait began cooperation after the inking of the Cross-Strait Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, and subsequently over 1,000 people were arrested on suspicion of fraud. The number of scams in Taiwan has fallen by 30% over the past three years and the financial losses have dropped by 60% to around NT$6 billion.
The improvement in cross-strait relations generates a peace dividend and affords Taiwan greater opportunity for participation in the international community. Over the past three years we have held a number of large-scale international events, such as the International Flora Expo in Taipei, the World Games in Kaohsiung, and the Deaflympics in Taipei. Meanwhile, we have been successful in our effort to participate in the World Health Assembly and join the Agreement on Government Procurement . With regard to external relations, the year before last we established a representative office in Sapporo, and last year direct flights between Tokyo's Haneda Airport and Taipei's Songshan Airport resumed. Just two days ago we established a new office in Frankfurt. Even more, a total of 114 jurisdictions now grant visa-free courtesies to the people of Taiwan (most recently Israel has also agreed to this). This number is an increase of 61 jurisdictions from three years ago. Our citizens can proudly carry our passport and conveniently travel to all parts of the world. Our pursuit of improved cross-strait relations and our efforts for closer ties to the international community are being carried out simultaneously. When we speak of "consolidating diplomatic ties, achieving progress with dignity," this is exactly the sort of thing we are referring to.
I want to assure all the young people here today that in pursuing cross-strait peace we are resolutely determined to defend the sovereignty of the ROC, protect the security of Taiwan, and maintain dignity for the people of Taiwan. At no point has there been any change in this attitude, and at no point have we made concessions in this regard.
Last year we saw the so-called Jiang Ping (江平) Incident at the Tokyo International Film Festival, where the head of the mainland Chinese delegation demanded that Taiwan's name in the event be changed. We immediately lodged a strong protest with mainland authorities. More recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) was found using a very inappropriate name in internal documents to refer to Taiwan. In addition to holding a press conference and lodging strong protests with the WHO and the mainland authorities, I also asked that Health Minister Chiu Wen-ta (邱文達) likewise lodge solemn protests while attending the World Health Assembly, which he has done at meetings in Geneva over the past three days. Our stance is clear and our attitude is resolute in issues that touch upon national sovereignty and Taiwan's dignity—"The people of Taiwan do not back down!"
Last week, I held a video conference with a well-known think tank based in Washington, DC. During the meeting I mentioned that we must build three lines of defense in Taiwan's security, from institutionalization of cross-strait relations to the use of diplomacy and economic ties to raise Taiwan's international image. I called on the United States to sell necessary defensive weaponry to Taiwan, including F-16 C/Ds and diesel-powered submarines. I told our American friends that Taiwan's defense capabilities must be enhanced to maintain a balance of power in the Taiwan Strait, and to make Taiwan more willing and confident about pursuing further dealings with mainland China. The arms sales are actually conducive to better ties with mainland China.
I hope everyone can pull together to ensure that our children and grandchildren can grow up in a cross-strait climate that features peace and prosperity. This is a responsibility that we cannot shy away from.
(2) Human rights and justice
Let's next turn to human rights and justice. After I took office in 2008, I aggressively promoted the ratification of two United Nations human rights covenants that the ROC signed back in 1967, and got them incorporated into domestic law. I also called for a review of Taiwan's related laws and regulations over a two-year period to ensure that all existing legislation conforms to the two human rights covenants. This will help ensure that Taiwan's human rights standards are up to international standards. Government agencies are working as fast as they can on the legislative review and it is hoped that the amendment of related laws and regulations will be completed by the end of this year.
At the same time, I have asked Vice President Vincent C. Siew to establish the Presidential Office Human Rights Consultative Committee, inviting experts and scholars to discuss related topics, formulate human rights policies, and regularly release reports on the state of human rights in Taiwan.
Since taking office I have emphasized respect for judicial independence. I have not intervened in any court cases, for doing so as president would be an abuse of power, and would cause irreparable harm to the nation. I also strictly forbid illegal wiretapping and have had legal amendments carried out to forbid the government from placing politically slanted information in the news media and passing it off as straight reporting. These efforts, however, are still not enough. I believe our thinking, our education, and our systems need to continually improve. This is the only way to prevent the government from infringing upon the rights of people.
Last October in my National Day Address I mentioned the concept of social justice, by which I was referring to the elimination of injustice, assistance for the underprivileged, and reduction of the wealth gap. This will provide the people of every generation—regardless of gender, education, profession, or family background—equal opportunity to develop their abilities, and will enable all to share in the fruits of economic growth.
Let's look at Tainan where we are today as an example. We believe there should be a partnership between the central and local governments. Regardless whether you live in northern, southern, eastern, or western Taiwan, we should be moving forward together and experience balanced development. Government strategies should not only focus on merging and upgrading Tainan city and county or Kaohsiung city and county, but more importantly enable the two special municipalities to become locomotives for development in southern Taiwan, helping to drive the development of the area's economy and culture. This was the thinking behind the establishment of five special municipalities in Taiwan. Earlier administrations had sought to do this for decades, but its actual achievement fell to us.
From a budgetary perspective, funding for infrastructural development in southern Taiwan has reached NT$744.7 billion. The government plans to invest NT$263.2 billion to build up Kaohsiung as a major international air and sea port as well as a key hub for manufacturing, logistics, and other types of industry. It is anticipated that this initiative will generate 170,000 jobs.
In addition, the government is actively promoting a variety of transportation and tourism infrastructure projects, including the building of a high speed rail station in Yunlin County, the development of the National Palace Museum Southern Branch in Chiayi County, creating an elevated railway in Chiayi City to alleviate surface traffic congestion, improving the Budai Port, Chiayi County, and promoting the development of the Dapeng Bay scenic area in Pingtung County. It is also spending over NT$50 billion to clean up the Tsengwen, Nanhua, and Wushantou reservoirs and stabilize water supplies in southern Taiwan.
A host of good news has been seen on the tourism front for Tainan recently. I am told that the number of tourists to Tainan has been increasing and that upgrades and renovations are being carried out at existing hotels, while new hotels are being built. Local development transcends political affiliation. No matter what party is in power, the central government will make every effort to cooperate with the Tainan City government in maximizing the advantages for this city, which is so steeped in culture. We will all work together to develop Tainan's cultural and tourism industries.
The two sides of the Taiwan Strait are discussing an increase in the frequency of flights between Taiwan and mainland China. Currently there are 370 flights each week, and it is hoped that this number can be increased to 500. I would also like to take this opportunity to announce that starting this summer Tainan Airport will be designated to handle direct cross-strait flights, becoming Taiwan's ninth such airport. Initially, the airport will handle charter flights, but once there is a steady source of passengers we will seek to make these flights regularly scheduled ones. We still need to communicate with our cross-strait counterparts to discuss which mainland cities will have direct flights with Tainan. We hope that tourism operators in the Tainan area and the government will cooperate, and that comprehensive preparations will be carried out to enable even more mainland Chinese tourists to fly directly to Tainan from the mainland and enjoy Tainan's food and lovely scenery, while of course experiencing the goodness of the people of Tainan.
Of course, we also hope to hasten the pace of infrastructure construction in Tainan. The Shalun Branch Rail Line in Tainan was completed and opened to rail traffic in the beginning of January. Meanwhile, Tainan's railway tracks are now being moved underground, and work is progressing on connecting the National Freeway No. 1 to Provincial Highway No. 1, connecting Taiwan Highway No. 17 to Yongan Street in Tainan City, and aiding in the development of the Tainan Science Park area. Construction on these projects needs to be sped up, and we are cooperating with the Tainan City government on this.
The greater Tainan area is an important agricultural region in Taiwan. Four years ago I advocated raising the monthly subsidy to elderly farmers from NT$5,000 to NT$6,000. Recently, I also asked the Council of Agriculture to hike the public grain purchase price by NT$3. Last year Taiwan and mainland China signed the cross-strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement. We paid special attention to exports of agricultural products in that agreement. Under the accord, another 18 agricultural products from Taiwan can be sold to mainland China. Together with the more than 30 products currently sold there, this means over 50 items can now be sold on the other side of the Taiwan Strait. In addition, of these 18 items, many are grown in Tainan, including oranges, Hami melons, dragon fruit, milkfish, grouper, and Oncidium orchids. From January to March, Taiwan sold over US$33 million worth of agricultural products to mainland China, which is a 16 fold rise from the US$2 million registered in the same period last year. The goal of all of this is to safeguard the interests of farmers. In conclusion, we hope that a robust economy in southern Taiwan will propel vibrant development of the entire region.
The government also intends to aid the underprivileged and combat injustice. Let me cite a few examples. Over the past few years, we have implemented a national pension system, introduced a labor insurance annuity system, and begun issuing allowances to women who have given birth and are on leave without pay from their jobs. This is commonly referred to as parental leave. At the same time, we have adopted a uniform tuition system for public and private high schools and vocational schools. In other words, the tuition at private schools will not be higher than that charged at public schools. In addition, starting this September, students will be able to attend vocational high schools tuition-free. Of course, this doesn't apply to families of students who have incomes above a certain level. For example, students from households with an annual income of less than NT$1.14 million will not be required to pay tuition. This initiative will be extremely helpful to vocational high schools in recruiting students. Meanwhile, amendments to the Public Assistance Act scheduled for implementation from July 1 will increase the number of people under the poverty line from 270,000 to 860,000.
We are carrying out all of this work with the hope of creating a more tight-knit social safety net for Taiwan and with a vision of creating a better future for the next generation. Of course, we also need intergenerational support.
(3) Environmental justice and economic development
Turning our attention to environmental justice and economic development, in the past we made every effort to promote economic development in order to improve our living standard. In those days, however, society did not pay as much attention to the environmental impact of economic growth as it does today. We now realize that this economic growth came at the price of environment destruction and depletion of resources. In particular, once resources are depleted, it is hard to regenerate them, and the task of restoring a damaged environment is quite difficult. Consequently, we have come to realize that this type of growth doesn't conform to the spirit of "intergenerational justice."
Over the past three years, we have gradually abandoned the old belief that environmental degradation is the inevitable price of economic development. Now, rather than pursue inappropriate development, we opt to respect the environment. The Constitution even mandates that environmental protection shall be given equal consideration with economic development. The Basic Environment Act also provides that if there are concerns that development will have a serious impact on or be harmful to the environment, protection of the environment shall take priority. For instance, in the development of eastern Taiwan, we decided to have improvements carried out on the Suhua Highway instead of building a Suhua Freeway. This will reduce the harm to the environment. Then there is the example of the Kuokuang Petrochemical project in Changhua County, where we emphasized environmental justice. In so doing, we have moved away from the development policies of the previous administration. We hope to pass along clean air, clear streams, and life-sustaining wetlands, coastlines, and mountain forests to future generations. We want to leave behind a Taiwan that is full of vitality.
I realize that this work is not easy. In addition, criticism has been leveled from all sides. Some people are skeptical about whether from here on out we don't want economic development and will only focus on environmental protection. I can tell everyone without a doubt that is not the case. We are confident that Taiwan can adopt new models in the pursuit of economic growth that compromise neither the economy nor the environment. In the future, environmental protection will not be looked upon as a burden or a restriction. Rather, it will serve as an opportunity to promote economic transformation. We need to change our way of thinking.
Based on these convictions, we are formulating new industrial policies that emphasize higher sophistication in basic industries, an across-the-board upgrading of traditional industries, and a focus on the production of high value-added products. At the same time, we will stress the development of new green industries with a small carbon footprint. In the future, knowledge and innovation will constitute the motors that drive Taiwan's economic growth. In considering individual products, the international community is now pays close attention to carbon footprint, life cycle assessment, and environmental protection requirements to determine whether a product is produced in a manner consistent with environmental protection standards. In the future, a product known to harm the environment will be rejected in the marketplace. We therefore shouldn't see our choices as involving a conflict between environmental protection and economic development. Rather we should be forward-looking and develop new economic opportunities with environmental protection in mind. This will help us create a solid foundation for sustainable development. This is our responsibility to future generations, and an extremely important commitment we have made to Taiwan.
3. Embrace ideals, rise to challenges
My young friends, looking at Taiwan's developmental history, we can see that liberalization has always brought prosperity, while shutting ourselves off from others has led to decline. Not long ago, Taiwan shut itself off from the rest of the world for a period of time and missed opportunities to participate in the economic integration of the Asia-Pacific region. Since 2008, however, we have adopted a policy of deregulation and liberalization, opening up avenues for Taiwan's continued economic development on two fronts. Internally, we adopted the Act for Industrial Innovation and targeted six major emerging industries for development. Externally, we signed the ECFA with mainland China and are engaging in talks with other countries on similar economic cooperation accords. The objective of these efforts is to adjust Taiwan's economic structure, spark economic growth, enhance our international competitiveness, and create maximum wellbeing for the public.
The government, for instance, has opened Taiwan's doors to tourists from mainland China. Over the past nearly three years, this has generated income of over NT$100 billion for Taiwan. Meanwhile, the tourism industry has made investments of NT$160 billion for the construction of new hotels, acquisition of tour buses, the opening of new restaurants, and the like. Just look at the sales of pineapple cakes. Four years ago, annual sales of these cakes stood at NT$2 billion, while sales last year increased 12-fold to NT$25 billion. One maker of pineapple cakes is even planning to list on the stock exchange. After the signing of the ECFA, to give another example, grouper raised on fish farms here were included on the early harvest list. After the tariff on the fish was lowered, business started to increase. Four years ago, Taiwan's exports of grouper to mainland China amounted to just NT$27.42 million. By last year, however, exports had grown by a factor of 87 to reach NT$2.4 billion. It's clear that we have created many opportunities for our agricultural industry. This also proves that appropriate policies can help people do business and create the conditions for them to better their lives. Our goal now is to enable even more people to enjoy the advantages of reform and liberalization.
I am confident that people who have grown up in Taiwan love this land. No group or political party holds a patent on love for Taiwan. We must rely on action and wisdom to do more things that benefit Taiwan. What we must not do is engage in political mudslinging and accuse others of selling out Taiwan.
Today I have discussed quite a few of my beliefs on "intergenerational justice." Taiwan's future is in the hands of everyone, but especially in those of Taiwan's youth. I ask each of you not to underestimate your potential impact. Everyone's persistence and efforts can change Taiwan's future.
I received a letter written by an elementary school student when the Kuokuang Petrochemical project was undergoing its environmental impact assessment. This student asked me to save the white dolphin. I even saw high school students spontaneously take part in activities to protest the petrochemical project. These students didn't have any special agenda. They were simply expressing their concern for the environment. I saw the passion in their eyes and I heard the enthusiasm in their voices. I am sure that the power of these people caused government agencies to listen more carefully to differing viewpoints and come up with alternative development plans. Ultimately, the government decided not to support the construction of the Kuokuang facility in Changhua and is now looking for an alternative plan to promote local economic development.
Young people are idealistic and have a strong sense of right and wrong. They have the courage to change the status quo. This has been the situation generation after generation. Over 100 years ago, Lin Juemin (林覺民) was only 24 years old when he wrote "A Farewell Letter to My Wife." Chiang Wei-shui (蔣渭水) was only 30 years old when he founded the Taiwanese Cultural Association over 80 years ago. Each new generation has unlimited potential. As long as everyone is willing, you have the opportunity to create the future that you hope for. Your future is Taiwan's future. The responsibility of the government is to create a climate in which each one of you can fulfill your potential.
4. Conclusion
Over the past three years, we have worked hand in hand with the public. Concrete achievements have been seen in sovereignty and peace, human rights, social justice, environmental justice, and economic development. In addition, we are more confident than we were in the past. All of this is because Taiwan has pursued the correct path and is moving forward along it. Changes have already taken place and reforms must continue. We cannot look backwards!
I am so pleased to spend the eve of the third anniversary of my inauguration with the nation's youth and to be able to report to the nation what I have learned in the course of my time as president. I hope everyone will identify with our ideals and support what we trying to do. Let's together commit ourselves to Taiwan, create a new start for Taiwan, and help Taiwan grow stronger.
Thank you!