President Chen's Opening Remarks at National Security Conference

Vice President Lu, Premier Su, Deputy Premier Tsai, Secretary-General Chen, Secretary-General Chiu, ministers, my colleagues, ladies and gentlemen:

Good afternoon! On March 23, 1996, Taiwan held its first direct presidential election. This marked a historic step toward Taiwan's democratic development. Before this event, China irrationally launched several waves of military exercises aimed at halting and undermining Taiwan's presidential election. Furthermore, on March 8 and 13, China launched missiles in the vicinities of Keelung and Kaohsiung. Some of those projectiles landed as close as a mere 55 kilometers from Taiwan's shoreline. At the same time, China mobilized its army, navy, and air force to conduct a landing drill for invading Taiwan. The drill continued until March 25, 1996. China's rhetorical and military intimidation against Taiwan caused a sharp escalation of tension in the Taiwan Strait, which became a source of alarm in the international community. Many historians have called this event the "Taiwan Strait Crisis of 1996."

In assessing the "Taiwan Strait Crisis of 1996" and the evolution of cross-Strait relations over the last decade, we can conclude that the democratic development of Taiwan did not occur out of the blue. In addition, one can see how China has never ceased to belittle and threaten democratic Taiwan. During our 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, China once again resorted to rhetorical intimidation and other various means in an effort to interfere with Taiwan's democratic proceedings and threaten the freewill to choose of the 23 million people of Taiwan.

Since Taiwan changed its ruling party in 2000, despite our continued goodwill and countless olive branches, China has continued to expand its missile deployment and military threats against us. Recently, China's army has even set a clear 3-stage plan to conquer Taiwan. This action has underscored China's intent to use non-peaceful means to alter the status quo according to its "anti-secession law" passed in 2005. This undoubtedly represents the most substantial and urgent threat to democratic Taiwan.

Next month will mark the tenth anniversary of the "Taiwan Strait Crisis of 1996" and the first anniversary of China's "anti-secession law." Against this backdrop, today's high-level national security conference is to assess the future of the National Unification Council and the National Unification Guidelines. Moreover, the conference possesses an even more serious and critical meaning, that is, to safeguard democracy and preserve the status quo. By safeguarding democracy, we can implement the democratic principle of respecting the people's right to determine their own destiny and ensure the right and freewill to choose of the 23 million Taiwan people. By preserving the status quo, we can ensure that the status quo of Taiwan's democracy, freedom and human rights, as well as the peaceful status quo of the Taiwan Strait will not be unilaterally altered.

Democracy is Taiwan's most treasured asset. It is because of democracy that everyone in Taiwan can freely express his position on any political issue. As a responsible government, however, we have to be firm on our stances and proceed with our goals pragmatically. Only by doing what's right and taking the correct path can we be responsible to our history and to our people.

Without further ado, let's proceed with today's agenda.