President Chen Shui-bian (
"The progress made toward peace between North and South Korea is an inspiration for both sides of the Strait to reach a settlement," Chen said in a press statement, adding that "if North and South Korea can, there is no reason both sides of the Strait cannot."
"The historic handshake between North and South Korean leaders on June 13 ushered in a future of peace and settlement between the two sides," the Presidential Office statement added, saying Chen had a picture of the two Kims shaking hands in his office.
Chen met with Kim on several occasions before both became presidents and calls him an old friend. The statement also said Chen believed leaders on both sides of the Strait had the same wisdom and creativity to rewrite history.
Chen also complimented the exiled and blacklisted Chinese writer Gao Xingjian (
"We express our deepest respects for his outstanding achievement ? Not only is it a perfect ending to the 20th century, but it is also a powerful beginning for the 21st century," Chen said during a trip to a biotechnology company in northeastern Ilan County (宜蘭) on Friday.
He said instead of the cynicism that greeted the announcement in China, people in Taiwan were enthusiastic about the news.
Gao, at the invitation of Taipei City Government's Cultural Affairs Bureau (
However, the bureau is not sure whether Gao will make the trip as scheduled since he won the prize.
Meanwhile, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Friday that Gao's award "shows again the Nobel Prize in literature has been used for ulterior political motives and is not worth commenting on."
The ministry also suggested that the Nobel committee had overlooked far worthier Chinese writers.
The Nobel committee, however, issued a statement denying that politics played a part in choosing the winning author.
Chen also sent a telegram on Friday to South Korea, which, he said, paid tribute to Kim's contribution toward easing tensions on the Korean peninsula and promoting peace in the Asia-Pacific region.
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