Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) yesterday said that Taiwan's economic development fared better than that of many advanced countries, adding that the public and the opposition alliance should be encouraged by the nation's achievements instead of continually criticizing the government.
"People complain about the economic situation," Lu said at a meeting with foreign business leaders, including Cisco Systems Senior Vice President Howard Charney, in the Presidential Office. "However, the facts are that Taiwan's economic growth rate is 3.2 percent, while the US' is 2.2 percent, Japan's is negative 0.5 percent and Hong Kong's is 1.5 percent."
Lu also said that the unemployment rate of Taiwan last year was 5.17 percent -- the highest it has ever been. The US, on the other hand, has a jobless figure of 5.8 percent and Hong Kong one of 7.3 percent, she said.
Lu added that the country's growth competitiveness is ranked third in the world, its science indicators are ranked second and, according to evaluation reports by the renowned Brown University in the US, the computerization of Taiwan's government is second internationally.
"The economic data clearly shows that Taiwan's achievements and abilities, especially in high-tech industry, will have unlimited potential in the future," Lu said.
Lu said that the DPP government's goal is to upgrade the country's world image of "MIT [made in Taiwan]" to a country of "IIT [innovated in Taiwan]," thus shedding the country's contract-manufacturing past and becoming a global center of creation and innovation.
"Twenty-four companies have established their research and development centers in Taiwan, including Japan's Sony and the US' Hewlett Packard," Lu said. "We believe that there will be over 30 companies here by 2006."
Charney expressed appreciation of the government's support in assisting cooperation between his company and Taiwan's scientific industry.
He said that Cisco Systems, which has already developed some technological cooperation with the National Chiao Tung University, is expecting to further coordinate with Taiwan.
Meanwhile, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) said he was proud of the government's efforts toward democratic developments.
He encouraged all staff members of the Presidential Office to continue to narrow the gap between the government and the public.
"Over the past year, the Presidential Office has been transformed both inside and out under the leadership of Secretary-General Chen Shih-meng (陳師孟) and through the hard work of his two deputies and all the staff," the president said during a pre-Lunar New Year gathering yesterday.
"Their work at decorating the square in front of the Presidential Office on Double Ten Day and the renovation of the [Presidential Office] building were all successfully completed and well received by the public," he said.
The opening of the Presidential Office to the public every two months has made it more accessible and approachable as well as helping it to become a symbol of Taiwan's democratization, he added.
"All these achievements are the results of everyone's hard work and we should all be very proud of ourselves," Chen said.
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