President Neyts-Uyttebroeck, Dr. Gabor Kuncze, members of Liberal International, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
What a pleasant surprise for me to be able to be here today to participate in the 51st Congress of Liberal International with the liberal leaders from all over the world! It took me two years to wait for this fabulous honor! Last year I was invited to your Congress in Ottawa, Canada, but couldn’t attend because the Canadian government denied me a visa. The same thing happened to President Chen when Liberal International awarded him the 2001 Freedom Prize for his success in ending 55 years of one-party rule and fulfilling Taiwan's first peaceful transfer of political power. Ironically enough, a Freedom Prize winner was not free to travel to receive the award in person because none of the freedom-loving governments of Europe would issue him an entry visa. This was all because of China! Would it be so embarrassing for the PRC to see Taiwan’s democratically elected head of the state be celebrated in the international society for his contributions to democracy and human rights? But why should popularly elected leaders of a liberal democracy, like President Chen and myself, be denied the rights to visit other democracies? Why do governments that uphold freedom and human rights get so tangled with the autocratic and militaristic regime in Beijing? Are they simply hypnotized by their business potential earnings in China, or are they hypocritical about the common values that we liberals stand for?
These experiences make this trip a real breakthrough. Believe it or not, this is the first time ever that Taiwan's President or Vice President delivers a speech in such a significant international forum. On behalf of my country and my people, I want to thank the President of Liberal International, Ms Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck and my friends in Hungary, Dr. Gabor Kuncze and Honorable Matyas Eorsi, for your strong support and hard efforts. I also want to sincerely thank the people and government of Hungary. Your courage and wisdom in facing the political pressure from a hegemonic power make this "mission impossible" possible. You have shown to the entire world that Hungary stands for justice, and how liberal principles can overwhelm the injustice that Taiwan has suffered at the hands of many countries for so long. Hungary has shown to the world how a truly liberal country should act.
I also want to take this opportunity to announce that the Democratic Progressive Party, the ruling party in Taiwan, will today solemnly apply for full membership in Liberal International, so that we can fully participate and work hand-in-hand with the Liberal International members.
Over the past decades, Liberal International has developed into a truly worldwide forum for liberal political parties and leaders to build friendship and exchange ideas and experiences. During the Cold War, it stood as a lighthouse shining its light to the oppressed people struggling in the darkness of authoritarian regimes, including us in Taiwan. Your remarkable successes contributed to the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe and to democratization in many corners on earth. Now more than 100 countries in the world have overturned authoritarian or military regimes, and espoused political liberty. Experience shows that implementing liberal economic policies can indeed stimulate growth and improve human well-being.
At the beginning of this new millennium, I stand with all of you to continue the campaign against authoritarianism, to help the oppressed people toward emancipation, as well as to encourage good governance and sustainable human development.
Even though we have made such progress, the world is still full of poverty, inequality and injustice. Much of this misery is still caused by abuse of power by political authorities and poor governance. At the dawn of the 21st Century, there are still at least 850 million people in developing countries who are still illiterate; 1 billion who lack access to clean water; and 2.4 billion who lack accesses to basic sanitation. Global income inequality, instead of decreasing, is quickly accelerating. Rich countries today generate over 86 percent of the world’s GDP while middle-income and poor countries generate only 13 and 1 percent, respectively. I am particularly concerned with the seriousness of widespread gender inequality. Although women's employment in the world has substantially increased, women are paid less and have fewer opportunities in both developed and developing countries. Besides, sexual harassment and domestic violence remains a global nightmare for women. In terms of political power, 7 Presidents, 10 Vice Presidents and 2 Prime Ministers are women. In other words, there are only 19 out of 192 countries in the world today that allow women to be in charge of national affairs.
The biggest challenge for us liberal leaders today is not just to promote liberal values and democracy. Fostering good governance that leads to justice and fairness on earth is also fundamental. Some political leaders believe that what they need is a "big government" with overwhelming power over the economy and society. Ironically, even though these leaders claim that their policies are meant to improve people's lives, they often have the opposite effect. Maximization of state power without effective restraints only results in authoritarianism. Human rights and civil liberties must not be sacrificed in the name of pursuing economic growth and governmental efficiency. Furthermore, transparency is a crucial factor for the quality of governance. It is the best guaranty against corruption and misuse of resources. Our priority today is to make liberal values, such as civil and political rights, decentralization of political authorities, and respect for religious freedom, compatible with the rapid technological changes and the expansion of the culture of consumption in the globalization era.
Ladies and gentlemen, our 51st Congress rightly focuses on the liberal agenda for good governance. To echo this, may I share with you my philosophy of "soft power", which has guided me as a pioneer of Taiwan's women movement, a fighter for freedom and democracy, and even in the darkness of prison. Soft power consists of five key elements: human rights, democracy, peace, love, and technological progress, which are intimately intertwined. The idea of soft power contrasts sharply with the notion of "hard power," which is based on exploitative materialism and aggressive militarism. Hard power, with its heartless and mechanical nature, ignores humane values and misleads nations toward over-centralization of state power and even military hegemony. It is aggressive and destructive! Soft power, in contrast, makes use of mercy and wisdom to fight against corruption, poverty and injustice. It is constructive and generous. All these values are a priceless treasure; the more you share them with others, the more you benefit yourself, and the better our overall human future will be. In a word, soft power is soft, but powerful.
Taiwan used to be poor and very conservative. Our people were suppressed by 38 years of martial law, and we have been bullied and threatened by China for over half a century. However, thanks to the development of our soft power, we have created the so-called "Taiwan Miracle!" Taiwan's successful transformation into a mature democracy and its technological advances are a good demonstration of how soft power can be the strongest tool to fight absolutism and hegemony. While leaders in Beijing are still worrying about whether Falun Gong followers threaten their national security, in Taiwan they can practice freely without worries. While in China, Xinjiang Muslims and Tibetan Buddhists are still fighting for their religious rights and political freedom, in Taiwan we are successfully solving differences between social groups through democratic means. Taiwan’s experiences in promoting liberal values signify her critical role in the worldwide campaign against terrorism, religious fundamentalism, and authoritarianism!
In recent years, Taiwan has earned her reputation not only through its high-tech industries, but also through its humanitarian and charitable contributions to the world community. Regretfully, the more the Taiwanese desire to contribute to global peace, the more China builds up its military forces to intimidate Taiwan. At present, over 400 ballistic missiles are deployed along China’s southeast coast targeting our cities, and that number is increasing by 50 to 70 every year. As world leaders concentrate on the war against terrorism, close attention should be drawn to the use of this military threat to terrorize the people of Taiwan! Actions should be taken early before China can trigger the war!
China behaves like a wild lion, while Taiwan is just a little cat. Wild predatory animals such as lions and tigers need to be kept at a good distance, while you can always make friends with cats!
Ladies and gentlemen, let's use soft power and our liberal beliefs to tame the lion of authoritarianism and hegemony. The relations between men and women, nation and nation, should not be based on coercion and conflict, but instead, be cooperative and constructive! Thank you.