Presidential Statement
2004/1/16
My dear fellow countrymen: Good evening!
On May 20, 2000, when I became the 10th President of the Republi
c of China, I stated very clearly in my inauguration speech that
"I shall abide by the Constitution, safeguard the sovereignty, d
ignity and security of our country, and ensure the well-being of
all citizens. Therefore, as long as there is no intention on t
he part of the CCP regime to use military force against Taiwan,
my pledge is that, during my term in office, there will be no de
claration of independence, no change in the national title; and,
we will not advocate for the inclusion of the so-called "State-
to-State" description in the Constitution, nor will we promote a
referendum to change the status quo with regard to the question
of independence or unification. Furthermore, the abolition of
the National Reunification Council or the National Reunification
Guidelines will not be an issue."
Over the past three and a half years, I have fully honored my "F
our No's plus One" pledge. However, China, during the same perio
d, has been continuously increasing the deployment of missiles t
argeted at Taiwan and has been intensifying its military prepara
tions for attack on Taiwan. China's purpose is unquestionably o
bvious, that is, they aim to change the status quo in the Taiwan
Strait through undemocratic and unpeaceful means rather than wo
rking with us to maintain stability in the region. Nonetheless,
for the sake of regional peace and stability, I am still willin
g to put forth my every effort in safeguarding peace in the Taiw
an Strait and I remain resolute in this endeavor to the very end
.
In order to prevent China from using force against Taiwan and th
erefore, unilaterally changing the status quo, I have proposed a
referendum for peace to be held on March 20. Confronted with o
verwhelming military intimidation from China, which poses the gr
eatest threat to our national sovereignty, a peace referendum re
presents an effective preventive measure, as it will help increa
se people's awareness of and readiness for such threats, while a
ctively seeking to maintain the status quo.
I would like to hereby announce the questions that will be put t
o the people of Taiwan for the peace referendum on March 20:
1. The People of Taiwan demand that the Taiwan Strait iss
ue be resolved through peaceful means. Should Mainland China (th
e PRC) refuse to withdraw the missiles it has targeted at Taiwan
and to openly renounce the use of force against us, would you a
gree that the Government should acquire more advanced anti-missi
le weapons to strengthen Taiwan's self-defense capabilities?
2. Would you agree that our Government should engage in n
egotiation with Mainland China (the PRC) on the establishment of
a "peace and stability" framework for cross-strait interactions
in order to build consensus and for the welfare of the peoples
on both sides?
Let me reiterate that, after I assume this office as the 11th Pr
esident of the Republic of China, I will continue to strive to t
he fullest to maintain the status quo and ensure the sovereignty
, dignity and security of our country. Furthermore, on the basi
s of maintaining the status quo, I will continue the proposed re
engineering of our constitution. We seek to, within the shortes
t timeframe, invite China to appoint a representative to meet wi
th our appointed envoy－mindful of the democratic choice that ha
s been made by the people of Taiwan－to commence negotiation on
the establishment of a "peace and stability" framework for cross
-strait interactions. This would include, among others, such su
bstantive issues as direct transportation, the protection of the
rights and interests of Taiwanese business people in China, and
other topics, with the goal being to reach a consensus based on
mutual respect and reciprocity, through dialogue and consultati
on. As such, together we can establish a new era of long-term s
tability and peace across the Taiwan Strait.
In a few days, we will be celebrating the Lunar New Year. I wou
ld like to take this opportunity to wish my fellow compatriots a
t home and abroad, much success and happiness. May heavenly wind
s and the new spring rains bring peace and prosperity to all acr
oss the Taiwan Strait. Thank you.
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