Premier Frank Hsieh (
"Regarding Beijing's establishment of the `Anti-Secession' Law, it is definitely necessary for Taiwanese people to protest and complain. But all these protests and complaints should not be endless," the premier said.
"Taipei and Beijing should maintain peace and grow prosperous together," he said.
The premier made his remarks during a legislative meeting yesterday morning, while being questioned by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hung Hsiu-chu's (
Hung asked him whether the government should maintain its policy toward China or if Taiwan should take any extraordinary step to break the ice.
"The Anti-Secession Law gave China a legal pretext for launching a military strike against Taiwan. Of course, for Taiwanese people, it is definitely their right to speak out, complain and argue," Hsieh said. "However, the relationship between Taipei and Beijing should not be antagonistic. We should be friends."
The premier said that if Taipei and Beijing remain enemies, future generations will inherit the burden and cross-strait relations would become an endless tragedy.
"We should bless each other and help each other instead of hating each other," he said.
Hsieh said that Taiwan and China were naturally born to be neighbors and that is something nobody can change geographically.
Instead of complaining about Taiwan's bad luck in being China's neighbor, the premier encouraged his fellow Taiwanese to look on the bright side.
"Think about it this way: our efforts for democracy in Taiwan will be a role model for Beijing," the premier said. "We will be happier if we think that way."
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