President Ma sent a letter on February 4 to Pope Benedict XVI of the Catholic Church in response to the Papal Message for World Day of Peace 2013.
The following is the full text of the president's letter to the pope:
Your Holiness:
I have had the pleasure of perusing the message "Blessed are the Peacemakers" that Your Holiness issued for the World Day of Peace on January 1, 2013.
In the message, Your Holiness calls for societies to be established "on truth, freedom, love and justice," and proposes resolving the global economic crisis through a new economic model, one founded on fraternity, sharing, selfless giving, and the "logic of gift." Your Holiness further points out that, from the demographic, ethical, pedagogical, economic and political standpoints, the family is the basic cell of society and one of the indispensable social subjects for the achievement of a culture of peace. Your Holiness also emphasizes that peace can only be attained by pursuing the happiness of all human beings. Such invaluable advice and penetrating insights are deeply thought-provoking, and I feel great admiration for your farsightedness.
Chinese culture has always sought to bring about peace and prosperity through benevolent governance, while rejecting rapacious dictatorship. The "Datong" [Great Harmony] section in the chapter "Liyun" [The Conveyance of Rites] of "Liji" [The Book of Rites], one of the Confucian classics, opens with: "When the great way prevails, the world is shared by all." This makes it clear that the world is owned, ruled and shared collectively by all humankind, rather than belonging to certain despotic individuals. Taken in a modern context, this can be construed as seeking world peace. The chapter "Daxue" [Great Learning] in The Book of Rites also promotes the idea of education for all, emphasizing that: "With things being investigated, knowledge being complete, thoughts being sincere, hearts being rectified, persons being cultivated, family being regulated, and states being rightly governed, the whole world is then in peace." This corresponds closely to the belief, expressed in your message, that it is in the family that peacemakers are born and cultivated. I very much agree.
I greatly admire your forthright statements, contributions, and advocacy of world peace, which reveal a deep concern for the suffering caused by famine, wealth inequality, natural disasters and wars. You have also been deeply concerned about the cross-strait stalemate, which has continued to exist even after the international community brought the Cold War to a peaceful end. That is why, since I took office in May 2008, I have focused on building mutual trust and promoting peaceful exchanges across the Taiwan Strait as some of the most important policy objectives of my administration. After more than four years of sustained effort, the two sides have managed to overcome the barriers to communication and are today reaping a peace dividend. The Republic of China (Taiwan) insists on the "1992 Consensus of one China with respective interpretations" and "mutual non-recognition of sovereignty and mutual non-denial of authority to govern," and upon these bases upholds the mutually beneficial principle of "shelving controversies and together creating a win-win solution." As such, we have constructed a framework for bilateral exchanges through eight rounds of talks, 18 agreements and two points of consensus, thereby laying a solid foundation for cross-strait peace, stability and prosperity. I trust that the positive developments that have resulted from cross-strait interactions will not only be vital for achieving peace and prosperity in East Asia and the world as a whole, but will also go far toward ensuring that mainland China moves toward establishing a free and open society that values human rights and the rule of law.
I have been very distressed by recent tensions between countries in East Asia over the Diaoyutai Islets, and thus proposed the East China Sea Peace Initiative on August 5, 2012, stressing that even though national sovereignty cannot be compromised, natural resources can be shared. The Initiative can be implemented in two stages: shelving territorial disputes through meaningful dialogue, and jointly exploring and developing resources through cooperation. It is hoped that, by holding three parallel tracks of bilateral dialogue (i.e. between Taiwan and Japan, between Taiwan and mainland China, and between Japan and mainland China), a consensus can be reached and progress can be made toward a single track of trilateral negotiations. This Initiative is in line with the spirit of modern international law, and offers a way to resolve regional disputes and maintain peace in the East China Sea.
The Republic of China is a peace-loving nation that cherishes its cordial relations with neighboring countries in the region. The East China Sea Peace Initiative calls on all parties concerned to put aside controversies, engage in dialogue, and establish mutual trust. It also urges neighboring countries engaged in the dispute to work together to safeguard sovereignty and fishing rights, resolve disputes through peaceful means, and jointly explore and develop resources.
The Republic of China will continue to play the role of peacemaker in the international community, and will step up efforts to promote international humanitarian aid. Last year, for example, it dedicated itself to helping countries affected by natural disasters or armed conflict, including Italy, the Philippines, Guatemala, border regions of Syria, and certain areas in Africa. In other words, the Republic of China endeavors to be an important provider of humanitarian aid, an area of great concern to Your Holiness.
Furthermore, to spread peace, it is necessary to establish increased contact, thereby enhancing understanding between countries and individuals. In 2011, through joint efforts by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China and the Secretariat of State of the Holy See, as well as the embassies of both countries, an agreement was signed between the Ministry of Education of the Republic of China and the Congregation for Catholic Education of the Holy See on collaboration in the field of higher education and on the recognition of studies, qualifications, diplomas and degrees. This pact will undoubtedly bring educational institutions in both countries closer in line with international practices. I sincerely hope that we will further expand our relations in the future and extend our cooperation to other fields.
I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to Your Holiness for your message on the World Day of Peace. As we are about to celebrate 70 years of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the Republic of China, I am confident that the churches of the Republic of China will continue to promote evangelization and pastoral work, and play the role of bridge churches with the beatitude "blessed are the peacemakers" firmly in mind. We thereby hope to contribute to efforts aimed at promoting truth, freedom, justice and peace in every corner of the globe.
Please accept, Your Holiness, the assurances of my highest consideration, as well as my best wishes for your good health and the continued prosperity of the Holy See.
Sincerely,
Ma Ying-jeou
President
Republic of China (Taiwan)