President Chen Addresses a Year-End Luncheon Party Held to Entertain the Media from Home and Abroad
Taipei, Feb. 5 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian said Tuesday he hopes the opposition parties and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) will reconcile and interact on a basis that will be conducive to Taiwan's political stability.
Chen called for all the parties concerned to "reach out their hands" to each other to allow Taiwan--"our common home"--to shine on the world stage.
Over the past year, Chen said, Taiwan has overcome crises and impacts of all kinds, both domestic and international, "enabling us to perceive how vital it is that all of us, regardless of our different political affiliations and varied cultural and ethnic backgrounds, should live together on the island as a community."
Chen said he is glad that after the December legislative elections, Taiwan's politics have become more stable than before and that a consensus between the opposition parties and the DPP on striving for economic growth and political reforms has been made possible -- developments that made him more confident in the country's future.
The president made the remarks at a year-end luncheon party held to entertain the media from home and abroad.
Chen said he was particularly pleased to hear the latest report by the Switzerland-based World Economic Forum that Taiwan's international competitiveness climbed three notches from 2000 to reach seventh in the world in 2001.
He added that he owes former Premier Chang Chun-hsiung a salute for his performance during his 480-day tenure that ended Feb. 1, and that he has great expectations for Chang's successor--Yu Shyi-kun--who he said will definitely help lead Taiwan's economy to a brighter future.