Taipei, April 24 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian reiterated Wednesday that national security should not be used as an excuse for a government to suppress freedom of speech or freedom of the press.
Chen made the remarks while meeting with Donald Kummerfeld, president of the International Federation of the Periodical Press, who is on a week-long visit to Taiwan.
With the domestic and international situation changing rapidly, Chen said, the public demand for information has increased substantially and has also become more diverse. Against this backdrop, he went on, the number of magazines in various fields have all grown continuously, along with their readerships. "And magazines have become an indispensable source of 'spiritual enrichment' for many people," he contended.
Chen praised Kummerfeld for his contributions to promoting international exchanges of magazine publishers and to the development of the periodical press over the years.
Noting that a publishing boom is an important symbol of social advancement and modernization, Chen said he hopes Kummerfeld's visit will help boost Taiwan's cultural exchanges with other countries and accelerate the progress and globalization of the island's magazine industry.
Chen reaffirmed his administration's commitment to upholding press freedom and freedom of speech. "National security is no excuse for repressing press freedom," he stressed.
As many disputes cannot be resolved through litigation, Chen said, publishing industry executives should exercise self-discipline in their reporting and business operations. "I'm hopeful that local magazine and newspaper publishers will keep in mind the importance of giving correct, objective, unbiased and balanced reports on major news events," he said.
For his part, Kummerfeld recognized the progress in Taiwan's publishing industry in recent years. He also echoed Chen's appeal for publishers' self-discipline and the value of protecting press freedom.