President Chen Meets with a Group of French Parliamentarians
Taipei, April 11 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian met Thursday with a group of French parliamentarians and expressed his thanks for their efforts to promote substantive relations between the two countries.
During the reception, Chen also expressed his appreciation to the French government for allowing his wife to travel to France last year to receive the 2001 Freedom Prize awarded to him by Liberal International, and for allowing Vice President Annette Lu to make a transit stop in Paris during her European trip.
The visitors reaffirmed their support for Taiwan's bid to join international organizations, including the World Health Organization. They pointed out that Taiwan is fully qualified to join the WHO and added that it would benefit not only the world, but also France.
As the French group had visited Hong Kong and Macau before coming to Taipei, Chen explained the "one country, two systems" to them and why the formula cannot be used for Taiwan.
The president stressed the Republic of China stance that Taiwan is not a colony but a sovereign country, not a province of the mainland and not a local government of the mainland.
Chen said that various public opinion surveys in Taiwan have indicated that "a great majority of the Taiwan people would not accept the `one country, two systems' formula."
He further said that "cross-Taiwan Strait problems must be resolved through peaceful means, not through military threats" and added that the future of Taiwan "must be decided by the 23 million people of Taiwan, not by any other country or party."
The French group, consisting of Jean-Louis Lorrain, Monique Papon, Lucien Lanier, Francois Trucy and Jean-Pierre Plancade, called on the president accompanied by ROC Vice Foreign Minister Chiou Jong-nan and French Institute in Taipei Director Elisabeth Laurin.