Chen meets public on the Net, speaks on chip-fab policy

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) said yesterday that he hoped the public would support the Cabinet's decision to allow Taiwanese companies to invest in eight-inch wafer foundries in China, saying the policy represented a more effective and positive strategy toward China.

"No one in the government would be such a fool as to scarify Taiwan's interests or make a mockery of our national security," Chen told people visiting a chat room on the ETtoday Web site.

Chen the netizens, who asked him whether the Cabinet's new policy would lead to serious unemployment in Taiwan, that the government had fully considered measures to effectively manage cross-strait trade and that people don't need to worry about the country's economic development.

"It is not appropriate to maintain the former `go slow, be patient' policy, which limited the government's ability to manage [investments]," Chen said. "Rather than to encircle or block, I believe that now we should choose to communicate and guide."

Yesterday's one-hour question-and-answer session was the first time the president had talked directly with people over the Internet. Responding to other questions, he explained what the president does every day and how he educated his son and daughter.

Chen, asked about secret National Security Bureau funds established by former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), the existence of which was leaked to the press by a former NSB chief cashier, said it was not easy to reform the national security apparatus of the country.

"National security and intelligence systems, just like diplomatic policy, can't be abolished or changed just because the government has changed," Chen said.

"Since we have just succeeded in winning power, we are not familiar with those parts of the government's affairs. Therefore we should not abolish our international intelligence network. We need time to evaluate these networks and then make decisions on whether to make adjustments."

The president also expressed his disappointment about the performance of the Legislative Yuan, urging lawmakers to spend more time considering legislation and less bothering Cabinet ministers.

"Government officials have to spend five days a week in the Legislative Yuan answering lawmakers' questions," Chen said. "So those officials only have time to discuss government policy at night, by which time they are almost exhausted."

Chen fielded questions about what he does for exercise, whether he plans to publish another photo collection and what he though about making English Taiwan's second official language.

Chen that the public should seriously look into the matter of language, saying it was important in boosting Taiwan's competitiveness.

"I think the our mother language should be protected," Chen said. "However, I also ask the public to consider earnestly the possibility of making English our second language, which has helped Hong Kong and Singapore connect with the international community."