[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 62 (Thursday, April 29, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2797-S2798]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
QUEST FOR MODERNITY
Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, as the co-chairman of the U.S. Senate
Taiwan Caucus, I ask for unanimous consent to have printed in the
Record the speech of Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou, delivered, via
video conference, before the faculty and students at the Fairbank
Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
The Quest for Modernity
(Speech by Ma Ying-jeou, President, Republic of China at Fairbank
Center, Harvard University, Apr. 6, 2010)
President Ma Ying-jeou took part this morning in a video
conference with the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at
Harvard University. The conference was moderated by Dr.
William Kirby, Director of the Fairbank Center. Harvard
University president Drew G. Faust opened the conference with
a videotaped talk in which she welcomed President Ma to the
video conference. After the moderator's opening remarks,
President Ma followed with a speech entitled ``The Quest for
Modernity.'' Thereafter, professors Steven M. Goldstein,
David Der-Wei Wang, William P. Alford each posed a few
questions to the president. This was followed by a Q&A
session in which the president fielded questions from members
of the audience. As the conference was drawing to a close,
President Ma gave a short closing statement.
Prof. Kirby, Prof. Goldstein, Prof. Alford, Prof. Wang,
Prof. Su Chi, Ambassador Yuan, Director General Hung, Dear
faculty members, students, distinguished guests, ladies and
gentlemen: Good Evening!
I. Nostalgia about Harvard
It heartens me to be once again addressing the excellent
faculty and student body of Harvard University. This moment
brings back a rush of nostalgia because it was here I became
a proud father for the first time before I even got my
doctoral degree. It was also at Harvard when I was cloistered
for long hours in the Law School Library, or debating with
fellow classmates and professors, that I was able to broaden
my understanding of the world, and hone my skills as a
scholar, intellectual and eventually a leader. I also feel
nostalgic on a deeper level. When I think of a long litany of
historic events, figures, and institutions: John Hay's Open-
Door Policy, Boxer Rebellion, American Indemnity Scholarships
for China with all its recipients, like Hu Shih and Chien
Shih-Liang, Tsinghua University, Yenching University, May
Fourth Movement, Flying Tigers, Pearl Harbor, John Leighton
Stuart, 1949, Korean War, United States-Republic of China
Mutual Defense Treaty, Fairbank Center, the Quemoy and Matsu
Crisis, Cultural Revolution, Shanghai Communique, Taiwan
Relations Act, mainland China's Reform and Open Policy, U.S.
arms sales to Taiwan and so on, I cannot help but think of
the far-reaching impact that America has had on China's, and
later on Taiwan's, convoluted path to modernization. I cannot
help but think my time at Harvard was not only a personal
academic journey, but also a microcosm reflecting a people's
long search for a modern nation.
II. Wealth, Power and Democracy
The late venerable Benjamin Schwartz, who as you know had
been a prominent member of the Fairbank Center, described in
the life of Yen Fu that the evolution of modern China has
been a journey in search of wealth and power. Given the rise
of mainland China's economic power and military strength over
the last thirty years, it seems that it has achieved those
goals to a considerable degree. However, I believe a society
that is truly modernizing should not be limited to wealth and
power but must also include the foundations for freedom and
democracy. For it is only through the active participation
and free choice of one's citizens that government truly
serves the welfare of the people; only then can a government
sustain, and a nation thrive. So I am proud to say that the
Republic of China on Taiwan has in fact achieved all these
three pillars. The ROC has since become a thriving nation
with a robust economy, viable military and a truly open and
vibrant democracy. With so much already achieved the roadmap
of my administration is quite straightforward: namely to
strengthen the foundation of these three pillars so as to
safeguard the future of Taiwan's posterity, and to share with
mainland China our values and way of life.
III. Coming out of Recession
My administration came into office two years ago in the
midst of a global economic crisis, so it's not an
exaggeration that we definitely ``hit the ground running.''
Since then we have worked relentlessly to revitalize Taiwan's
economy. By taking measures such as guaranteeing 100% bank
deposits, substantially lowering interest rate in seven
instances, investing 16 billion US dollars in domestic
infrastructure in 5 years, distributing 2.7 billion US
dollars worth of shopping vouchers, and providing emergency
assistance for the underprivileged, my administration has
successfully brought the economy out of the downturn after a
year and a half. Now we expect to create about a quarter of a
million jobs to bring the unemployment rate below 5% and GDP
growth up to 4.72% this year. Job creation will remain our
top priority, especially those in the green energy sector.
With carbon reduction in mind, we are now ambitiously
promoting innovation across all of Taiwan's most competitive
sectors. These include the country's traditional strongholds
such as IT, agriculture, and healthcare as well as other
emerging industries like green energy, biotech, tourism and
the cultural creative industries. However, the growing trend
towards regional integration among economic powerhouses in
East Asia, like Japan, mainland China, South Korea and the
ASEAN countries, is threatening to marginalize Taiwan's
heavily export-driven economy. As such, my administration has
been seeking to institutionalize economic relations with
mainland China and diversify our export markets and products
so that Taiwan will not only avoid being cut off from the
global economy but also enhance its international
competitiveness. Therefore, we have been pushing hard for an
Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) with the
mainland that will serve as a critical structural platform
for economic interaction between the two sides. On top of
intellectual property rights protection and investment
guarantee, the framework will include an early harvest
package of goods and services to enjoy zero custom tariffs.
The negotiations are already underway and expect to conclude
in the next few months. We have also established government
programs that will cushion potential shocks to industries and
workers, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises.
Although some assert that signing the ECFA with mainland
China will compromise our sovereignty, this is definitely not
the case. The top priority of my administration has always
been the principle of ``putting Taiwan first for the benefit
of the people.'' The truth of the matter, ECFA will spearhead
Taiwan's return to the accelerated track for economic
integration in Asia-Pacific and beyond. This without a doubt
will strengthen Taiwan's capabilities to enhance its
competitive edge in the global market and brighten its
outlook for negotiating similar arrangements with other
countries.
IV. Cross-Strait Rapprochement and Flexible Diplomacy
In the pursuit of power my administration is not merely
seeking military strength but more importantly to build up
our soft power. In fact, the heart of my foreign policy is to
reestablish mutual trust with all our major international
partners, especially the United States. In achieving this
goal, my administration has worked incessantly to transform
the Taiwan Straits from a major flashpoint into a conduit for
regional peace and prosperity. Therefore, in order to resume
constructive dialogue with the mainland after a hiatus of
over a decade, we first announced in 2008 the policy of ``No
Unification, No Independence, No Use of Force'' so as to
maintain the status quo across the Taiwan Strait under the
framework of the Republic of China's 1946 Constitution. This
breakthrough was further advanced under the framework of the
92 Consensus of ``one China, respective interpretations''
that was reached by the two sides in November 1992. That is
now deemed a feasible formula by government leaders across
the Taiwan Strait as well as many in the wider world
community. We have also adopted a policy of Flexible
Diplomacy and pursued a diplomatic truce with the mainland,
which has by and large ended the vicious cycle of diplomatic
warfare between the two sides. This will assuredly foster
responsible stakeholdership in both Taiwan as well as the
mainland. At the same time, we are working equally hard to
enhance Taiwan's meaningful participation in and contribution
to the international community. This will be achieved through
our strong initiative to develop Taiwan's green technology
and healthcare industries in conjunction with our foreign aid
policies. For example, under the Flagship Program for Green
Energy Industry, we will be building up Taiwan's industrial
base in green technology especially in Photo voltaic solar
cells and LED. This will not only benefit our people and
economy, but more importantly, Taiwan will be able to share
its resources and expertise with our allies and friends. On
my visit to our Pacific island allies last month, I was proud
to survey firsthand the work that Taiwan has done for some of
the countries in the area. For example, Taiwan
[[Page S2798]]
has installed and provided solar energy technology to the
Solomon Islands in hopes of improving the environment and
livelihoods of their people. Taiwan has also set up an
impressive medical mission in the Marshall Islands to
treat the high prevalence of cataracts sufferers. In fact,
our government will boost the overall effectiveness of our
medical aid by initiating many more medical and public
health missions that will target specific conditions and
diseases common among the people of the Pacific island
allies and friends. At the same time, after Taiwan
effectively controlled the spread of the H1N1 Flu within
our own borders, with a mortality rate of 2 deaths per
million, which is only \1/3\ of the average for OECD
countries, I am proud to report that Taiwan will also be
giving away locally manufactured vaccines worth 5 million
U.S. dollars to other countries in need. Taiwan's search
and rescue teams were also one of the first on the scenes
when Haiti was hit by a devastating earthquake earlier
this year. In addition to donating $16 million worth in
aid and funds, our government is also planning to set up
medical and vocational training centers to train for
hundreds of medical and skilled workers, and build 1,200
housing units. Also, as a sign of Taiwan's flourishing
civil society, World Vision Taiwan has collected countless
small donations from our people that will be sufficient to
feed and save more than 8,000 homeless Haitian children
and orphans. However, my administration realizes
humanitarian relief is only a small part of the long and
challenging road to full recovery. This is why we hope to
continue the work we have started in integrating the
advances we make in healthcare and green technology into
our foreign aid framework, so that Taiwan can truly make a
meaningful difference in the countries we help.
V. The Universal Value of Freedom and Democracy
However, coming back full circle, the search for a modern
nation cannot merely lie upon the pillars of wealth and
power. It is only under a true democracy that one's citizens
can live without fear according to the law, and share in the
burdens as well as benefits of good governance. Although
Taiwan has made impressive sociopolitical progress over the
last decades, it is still a young democracy. So, as firm
champions for democracy, my administration will work to
strengthen the democratic infrastructure of my country.
Already we are taking tangible steps to enhance Taiwan's rule
of law and protection of human rights in conformity with
international standards. In the past year, we have ratified
the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social
and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), both administered by the United
Nations. In converting these covenants into domestic law,
they will certainly strengthen the human rights of our
citizenry and further consolidate our rule of law.
Furthermore, I came to power on the promise of combating
corruption in elections and government, whereby we have
already made meaningful progress. Without a doubt this goal
will continue to be a cornerstone of my presidency, which I
am determined to carry through in my capacity as the
President of the country. I will assuredly not waver from the
path in laying the foundations of a true democracy. In fact,
next year in 2011 will be the Centennial Anniversary of the
Republic of China. Against the background of thousands of
years of Chinese history, the last century was in some ways
merely a comma. But from a larger perspective, it was nothing
short of an exclamation mark, as it has been 100 years of
struggle; 100 years of experimentation and 100 years of
education before a people learned that they too have the
unequivocal rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness. This nation-building process undoubtedly was
achieved through the collective efforts of countless
dedicated individuals who traversed between tradition and
modernity that helped bridge the East to the West so many
years ago. Inevitably, this made it possible for a people to
aspire to the same democratic values as you cherish. From the
chaos arising out of the turn of the 20th century, to the
founding of the first republic in Asia in 1912 and its
evolution forward in 1949 when the Republic of China
Government moved to Taiwan, in 1987 when Taiwan lifted
martial law, launched its democratic transformation, and
subsequently allowed Taiwan residents to visit their
relatives on the mainland, in 1996 when people on Taiwan
directly elected its President for the first time, and in
2000 and 2008 when the Presidential elections further
consolidated Taiwan's democracy through two rotations of
power between political parties, the passage of these 100
years has irrevocably transformed the foundations of a
political culture. Distinguished faculty members and
students, ladies and gentlemen, as the elected president of
the Republic of China, I will continue to strive toward
forging Taiwan into an exemplary democracy; one that will be
a source of inspiration and emulation for generations to
come.
Thank you.
President Ma's closing remarks
Dear distinguished faculty, students and friends; it is my
great pleasure to hold this teleconference with you. Your
questions and comments are very good, and some are very tough
to answer, but in thinking and answering these questions you
force me to think deeper and strive harder on the challenges
that confront the road ahead.
Although today's conference is near an end, I am heartened
by the thought that our friendship will continue to grow as
there is still so much we need to do, together. The
international system that the US forged out of the
devastation of World War II 65 years ago has today become the
enduring foundation of our global village. Being rule-based
and sufficiently flexible, this system encourages positive-
sum international cooperation rather than zero-sum interstate
conflict. Hence, it changed the underlying dynamics of the
world order that made it possible for countries, big or
small, to prosper together. As a matter of fact, my idea to
seek rapprochement with the mainland find some similarities
with the ideas espoused by the American leaders in having
soft talks with the Soviet Union and to have detente. In
other words, to replace confrontation with negotiations; to
solve international disputes through peaceful means. It is
this very system that has interlocked the world into a
community of thriving interdependence, giving rise to the
possibility where foes can turn into friends, where every
country can be a winner and every contribution become part of
a greater picture.
This is also the system from which I draw my inspiration to
lead my country, particularly in dealing with the mainland.
In taking a responsible stake in the world, and in seeking
rapprochement with the Chinese mainland, my administration
has committed the Republic of China on Taiwan to becoming a
dependable and valuable contributor to this international
system. In my visit abroad last month, I kept saying to our
friends or to the overseas Taiwanese and to members of my
delegations, that what I tried to do as far as my country's
foreign relations is concerned is to make Taiwan a
respectable member of the international community. I want
every Taiwanese when they walk in the streets of New York, of
Paris, of Sydney, of Beijing that they are respected. People
will say they are from Taiwan, and that Taiwan is a
respectful country in the world. Some in my domestic audience
may disagree with me, but I firmly believe that this is the
right path for Taiwan to avoid being marginalized from the
forward march of the rest of the world. However, we will not
merely concentrate on our own interests but equally apply our
resources in hopes of having a positive impact on the world
community. In fact, under this system that the United States
started over half a century ago, we, as a whole, ought to be
able to right what has gone wrong; to unite as one humanity
against the global crises that threatens all that we hold
dear, whether climate change, the global economic downturn,
the risk of pandemics, or the wars that endanger the peace of
our world. In the end, we are the only ones that can overcome
the challenges we face. And in such an important partnership,
I am confident Taiwan will be there to live up to its
responsibilities.
Thank you.
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