President Chen Shui-bian (
The "three insistences" refer to the pursuit of Taiwan's democratic reforms, upholding the concept of "Taiwan first" and shaping Taiwan into a wholesome, progressive and great country.
Chen made the remarks while receiving a group of Taiwanese civil engineers who work in North America at the Presidential Office yesterday morning.
Chen said that he and the Democratic Progressive Party have made some changes in their policies since the legislative elections, in accordance with advice from the pan-blue camp, but he said that his "three insistences" were non-negotiable.
Saying that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) showed unsatisfactory performance in last month's legislative elections, Chen added that he and the party "are willing to humbly take in advice from outsiders."
"However, the `three insistences' which I mentioned when I stepped down from the DPP's chairmanship remain unchanged," the president said, referring to his resignation as DPP chairman to shoulder his responsibility over the party's failure to garner a majority in the elections.
During the event yesterday, the president said also that Taiwan's rising competitiveness in the international community and better performance on international scoreboards in recent years are the direct results of the government's strenuous efforts to push for reforms and bolster economic development.
Noting that Taiwan's per capita income was US$13,995 last year, Chen told his guests that the figure hopefully will top US$15,000 this year, should economic growth reach 4.56 percent as expected.
Chen said that to sharpen Taiwan's international competitiveness, the government has designated the semiconductor manufacturing industry, image and display industry, as well as the telecommunications and service industries as the backbone of the country's industrial development, envisaging that the sectors will churn out production worth over NT$1 trillion in the years ahead.
The president added that the image and display industry, as well as the telecommunications and services industries are expected to reach the NT$1 trillion goal by the end of next year and 2008, respectively.
Chen yesterday also received members of the Taiwan Culture and Performance Arts Association at the Presidential Office, and ordered the Government Information Office (GIO) and "related authorities" to study measures to protect the opportunities for local entertainers.
As the Taiwanese identity is being emphasized, the voice of every performer should be appreciated, listened to and taken seriously, Chen said.
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