President Lee Teng-hui this morning reiterates his determination to carry out a series of educational, judicial, administrative and economic reforms to establish the Republic of China as a modernized country.
President Lee makes the remarks during a meeting with visiting Dr. Bruce Alberts, president of the National Academy of Science (NAS) in the United States.
President Lee also notes that the ROC places particular importance on educational reform programs, adding that the government will implement proposals brought forth recently by an educational reform task force for improving this country's education system.
On cross-Straits relations, President Lee tells his guests that various exchanges between Taiwan the the Chinese mainland should continue and that Taiwan is willing to provide assistance, including that in agricultural field, to the mainland to help its development. He goes further to say that, at a time when all world nations are interdependent and are in an concerted effort to promote peace and prosperity, the Chinese communist leaders have to develop a more open and progressive thinking toward both internal and external affairs.
For his part, President Alberts tells President Lee that he hopes science-related exchanges between the ROC and the United States will continue to advance. And he gives his persoual support for President Lee's reform initiatives.
President and Mrs. Alberts, along with other nine NAS delegation members including NAS Vice President Jack Halpern and Executive Director Kenneth Fulton, are accompanied by Dr. Lee Yuan-tseh, president of the ROC Academia Sinica, to the Office of the President for the meeting. Mr. Stephen S.F. Chen, deputy secretary-general to the President, is also present.