President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday said he wanted Taiwan to make “full use” of its soft power and to become a provider of humanitarian assistance, which is one element of soft power.
Responding to a note of gratitude from Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan for Taiwan’s donations in the wake of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit on March 11, Ma said that as of Sunday, the Taiwanese government and private sector had collected a total of NT$4.4 billion (US$152.15 million) in relief funds for Japan.
“Taiwan is not a big country, but we have raised more money than countries that are 10 times our size,” Ma said. “It has made me proud to see how the amount of money has increased over the past few weeks in the wake of the NT$100 million pledged by the government.”
Ma said the development of the Taiwanese government was in keeping with that of the international community, which is committed to inclusive development and said that such development is diverse, not “single-minded.”
“The purpose of diversity is to increase the sense of happiness felt by the public,” he said.
Ma said he had put forth six goals in pursuit of a “golden decade” over the next 10 years — They include using innovation and culture, protecting the environment, implementing the Constitution and the development of peace.
On developing peace, Ma said the country’s main threat came from “the other side” of the Taiwan Strait — China.
“On the one hand, we must strengthen our defenses, but we will not engage in an arms race with the China because it is unnecessary and impossible,” he said. “The most important thing is to create an environment that ensures the use of military force is not a possible option.”
Ma said he would continue to work to improve cross-strait relations and increase interactions at various levels with China, including allowing more Chinese students to study in Taiwan.
“I believe the younger generation in China is different from older generations,” he said. “The more they interact with Taiwanese students, the better relationships they will develop and the more likely cross-strait peace is to be solidified.”
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