In particular, the US must not allow China to use the name of anti-terrorism to suppress the legitimate aspirations of their own people. Of course from the viewpoint of Taiwan, we don't want to be a bargaining chip during the meeting for anyone or anything.
TT: Taiwan has been aggressively pushing for the inking of a free trade agreement (FTA) with the US.
Some critics, however, have expressed their concerns over the possibility that the government might sign the accord at the expense of national interests. What are your thoughts on this?
Chen: It's important for Taiwan to sign FTAs with other countries of the world, especially when China continues to keep Taiwan isolated from the international community.
It's definitely a plus for Taiwan to sign the agreements because we're very strong in the areas of trade and economy, which are two very important parts of international diplomacy.
By signing FTAs, we can develop a substantive relationship with other countries such as the US, Japan, and Singapore which are the world's super economic powers.
TT: Regarding national security, do you see any possibility of a terrorist attack similar to the attack in Bali, happening here in Taiwan?
Chen: As President Chen has already made it clear that there's no such intelligence indicating that such a heinous thing may happen here, I think we'd better give him some credit. We should, however, always be on alert and prepare for the worst.
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