Taipei, March 1 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian urged the people of Taiwan Friday to be "modern citizens with basic scientific knowledge" in order to build the country into a "knowledge-based" society.
Stressing that "knowledge and speed" form the basis of a country's competitiveness, Chen said it is very important for Taiwan to possess the knowledge of the world's latest scientific developments. He called on the private sector to join forces with the government to achieve the goal of turning Taiwan into a "knowledge-based" society "within this century."
The president made the remarks during a ceremony to mark the publication of the first issue of the United States-based "Scientific American" magazine's Chinese edition in Taiwan. Also present on the occasion were Academia Sinica President Lee Yuan-tzeh and Vice President Ovid Tseng, as well as prominent business leaders such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation Chairman Morris Chang.
The president thanked the publishing sector for introducing the magazine to the Taiwan market and asked for a subscription.
Both Lee and Chang hailed the magazine's Taiwan publication as a milestone in the country's social and democratic progress. "Scientific American" was first published in the United States in 1845 and launched its first edition in simplified Chinese in mainland China in 1979.