Chairman Chiang’s Opening Remarks at the 2nd ROC-US Online Forum
December 15, 2020
National Policy Foundation Vice Chairman Lien, Ambassador Mitchell, Mr. Thompson, Convenor Lin, and Ambassador Hsia. We gather here today at the National Policy Foundation to host our second ROC-US Online Forum of the year. We held our first online forum in August and had the pleasure of inviting distinguished scholars and experts from our two countries to discuss the impacts of Washington-Beijing strategic competition on Taiwan, which have intensified under the Trump administration. We delved into and considered ways to increase political and economic cooperation between the Republic of China and the United States and ended with fruitful results.
As we await the final results of the November US elections, the incoming Biden administration will, without a doubt, shape the future of Taiwan and the East Asian region as a whole. We also realize that, despite former Vice President Biden’s victory, strategic competition between Washington and Beijing is unlikely to subside in the short-term, especially in key areas of contestation. I must take this opportunity to emphasize the Kuomintang’s longstanding position towards the US: we will maintain close and amicable ties with the US, with the purpose of bolstering US-Taiwan exchanges across a range of crucial topics. Concurrently, we will continue playing the role of a responsible opposition party in Taiwan. Our policies will reflect mainstream opinion and be rooted in reason in order to win the hearts and minds of independent voters. In the process of moving our country forward, we seek to earn further support from the US government and American civil society. Simultaneously, the Kuomintang will continue to strive for the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations. We call for the resumption of official cross-Strait dialogue, the mitigation of tensions, and the alleviation of uncertainties. This should all be assured by unwavering US commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act, which authorizes the continuance of arm sales to Taiwan, encouraging the maintenance of a stable and peaceful Taiwan Strait and the safeguarding of a democratic Taiwan.
It was the Kuomintang that established the first and only Chinese democracy in history. Therefore, I feel a personal sense of commitment and responsibility to the future development of the entire Chinese Nation and our global community. Although cross-Strait relations are deteriorating each day, I expect never to witness a clash of arms in the Taiwan Strait.
It is a unique challenge to be a middle power state caught between two superpowers, with each vying for their respective and sometimes conflicting interests. However, I am confident that we have the wisdom to turn every challenge into an opportunity. I also firmly believe that the values of freedom, democracy, and human rights which bind the ROC and the US will persist. These guiding values and our country will remain a shining beacon for the world.
On behalf of the Kuomintang and the National Policy Foundation, I would like to, once again, welcome all of our esteemed guests to our online forum today, which is sure to result in fruitful discussion. Thank you for attending and happy holidays to all of our friends around the world.
江主席於「第二中華民國-美國線上論壇」致詞全文 109.12.15
主持人連副董事長勝文、各位與談人：米德偉大使（Ambassador Derek J. Mitchell）、唐安竹（Drew Thompson）先生、林郁方召集人、夏立言大使，大家好。我們共聚在國家政策研究基金會在今年舉辦的第二次「中華民國與美國線上論壇」。八月底，我們首度透過視訊會議的方式，邀集了兩國學者專家，來探討台灣如何在美國川普政府和中國大陸競爭格局下，尋求和美方在政治、經濟上的合作與發展，我們獲益匪淺。
美國大選已經結束了，而美選後的新局也勢必影響全球，包括東亞和台灣。我們也很清楚，即使民主黨總統候選人拜登確定勝出，美「中」在關鍵領域對抗的態勢在短期內恐怕並不容易扭轉。但我想藉今天這個機會再次強調，中國國民黨堅持親美立場，維持密切友好關係，並就各類議題進行廣泛的交流；我們也自許扮演好稱職的在野黨角色，反映台灣中道、理性的民意，希望能獲得美國政府與民間進一步的認同及支持。另一方面，國民黨尋求兩岸和平發展的目標不變。我們期望兩岸盡速恢復對話，降低緊張情勢及不確定性；我們同時也希望美國政府能依據《台灣關係法》，持續對台灣出售適合的武器裝備，以維持台海的和平基礎、確保台灣的民主穩定。
中國國民黨創建亞洲第一個、也是華人歷史上唯一的民主共和國，對中華民族和全體人類的未來有其使命感。當前兩岸軍事衝突的機率升高，絕非本黨所樂見。
古人說：兩大之間難為小。不過，我深信，台灣人民會有智慧來克服那些接踵而來的對外挑戰，而這些挑戰也將會是契機；我也深信，中華民國和美國所共享的民主、自由、人權等價值，必定會受到更多世人的支持。
最後，我謹代表中國國民黨和國政基金會再次歡迎各位與會，並期待今天會議帶來豐碩成果，亦祝各方好友聖誕假期愉快！謝謝！
