During the second day of his Marshall Islands trip yesterday, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) said that Beijing and Taipei should learn to trust each other in order to prevent a military confrontation. He also said that he is always willing to negotiate with the Chinese government under the principles of democracy and peace.
"The door to resolve cross-strait problems is always open if Beijing is willing to follow the principles of democracy and peace and talk to us," Chen said. "To affirm eternal peace between Beijing and Taipei is not something that can be accomplished immediately. But if we progress step by step, it will eventually come about."
Chen made his remarks while he was addressing the Marshall Islands' Senate yesterday morning. The president said that war results in suffering, hatred and sorrow.
PHOTO: CNA
"Only peace will bring about prosperity," the president said.
Chen also assured the Marshallese people that Taiwan will always be its friend and keep helping the country develop.
Chen addressed the Marshallese Senate around 10am yesterday morning. He said that both Taiwan and the Marshall Islands are maritime countries and thus share a kinship. Chen added Taiwan and the Marshall Islands love peace, and the two country's people will work hand in hand and help each other.
About 30 of the 33 Marshall Islands senators were present at Chen's address. Jally Morris, a 69-year-old local pastor who joined yesterday's event, said that Chen's visit to the Marshallese Senate is a milestone for the country.
"Chen is the first foreign leader to address the senate. It is the first time we have had so many reporters in the house to cover congressional news," Morris said.
To welcome Chen, the senate's official choir sang before and after his speech. The senators joined in the singing and assumed different roles. Some sang as tenors, while others sounded off as baritones and basses.
"Most Marshallese people are natural singers because we sing a lot during church services," Morris said.
After the speech, Chen joined an outdoor parade in front of the government building to celebrate the Marshall Islands' Constitution Day (Independence Day). Occasional rain interrupted the event, but the festivities were not cancelled.
In the afternoon, Chen reiterated his plan to help the Marshall Islands in its economic development.
"We will help the country build dry docks so the Marshall Islands can become a center of ship maintenance and repair industry in the region," Chen said.
Dry docks are maritime repair houses where a ship can be lifted out of the water and repaired.
The president also said that Taiwan will help the country develop its tourism industry.
Giff Johnson, editor-in-chief of the country's weekly newspaper, the Marshall Islands Journal, asked Chen whether the occasional rain upset him during the parade. Chen said that fortune tellers told him that he "needs water in his life" since part of his first name means "water" in Chinese. Thus, it is natural for him to be in the rain, he said.
"A rainbow or sunshine always shows up after the rain. That means things always get better after we go through difficulties," Chen said.
also see story:
Chen takes Note on board Taiwanese frigate
Two US House of Representatives committees yesterday condemned China’s attempt to orchestrate a crash involving Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim’s (蕭美琴) car when she visited the Czech Republic last year as vice president-elect. Czech local media in March last year reported that a Chinese diplomat had run a red light while following Hsiao’s car from the airport, and Czech intelligence last week told local media that Chinese diplomats and agents had also planned to stage a demonstrative car collision. Hsiao on Saturday shared a Reuters news report on the incident through her account on social media platform X and wrote: “I
SHIFT PRIORITIES: The US should first help Taiwan respond to actions China is already taking, instead of focusing too heavily on deterring a large-scale invasion, an expert said US Air Force leaders on Thursday voiced concerns about the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) missile capabilities and its development of a “kill web,” and said that the US Department of Defense’s budget request for next year prioritizes bolstering defenses in the Indo-Pacific region due to the increasing threat posed by China. US experts said that a full-scale Chinese invasion of Taiwan is risky and unlikely, with Beijing more likely to pursue coercive tactics such as political warfare or blockades to achieve its goals. Senior air force and US Space Force leaders, including US Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink and
‘BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS’: The US military’s aim is to continue to make any potential Chinese invasion more difficult than it already is, US General Ronald Clark said The likelihood of China invading Taiwan without contest is “very, very small” because the Taiwan Strait is under constant surveillance by multiple countries, a US general has said. General Ronald Clark, commanding officer of US Army Pacific (USARPAC), the US Army’s largest service component command, made the remarks during a dialogue hosted on Friday by Washington-based think tank the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Asked by the event host what the Chinese military has learned from its US counterpart over the years, Clark said that the first lesson is that the skill and will of US service members are “unmatched.” The second
Czech officials have confirmed that Chinese agents surveilled Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) during her visit to Prague in March 2024 and planned a collision with her car as part of an “unprecedented” provocation by Beijing in Europe. Czech Military Intelligence learned that their Chinese counterparts attempted to create conditions to carry out a demonstrative incident involving Hsiao, which “did not go beyond the preparation stage,” agency director Petr Bartovsky told Czech Radio in a report yesterday. In addition, a Chinese diplomat ran a red light to maintain surveillance of the Taiwanese
RSS