Mr. President and honored members of the Legislative Yuan,
A wise philosopher from your country once stated his belief that spiritual energies remain active throughout the universe. He said, “The overabundance of the power of spiritual beings is truly amazing! Looking for them, they cannot be seen. Listening for them, they cannot be heard. Yet there is nothing that they do not embody.” These are wise words that will last for eternity.
I represent the people of the Philippines today on this friendly visit to you. The Philippines is a close neighbor to your country; we can be compared to next-door neighbors. I am honored to be your guest today, and I am grateful for your warm hospitality. Furthermore, thousands of your country’s citizens are currently living in mine, and we also treat them as honored guests. In an era when the whole world is divided by conflicting ideologies, the people of our two countries still maintain friendly relations due to our shared belief in democracy. I would like to give my guarantee to the honored members of the Legislative Yuan here today that my country will continue to treat your country’s citizens inside our borders with friendship and hospitality.
The peoples of China and the Philippines have enjoyed a long history of solidarity, which has endured throughout the swells and ebbs of history. The Philippines and China are divided only by a narrow sea; the two countries are inseparable both geographically and ideologically. Together, we seek to create the best and most ideal community for all of humanity. The economic and political models for such a life would require great effort to maintain, and we must work together towards this goal.
However, there are forces that would obstruct our path to this goal. For example, there is a godless way of life that is based purely on materialism, in which acquisition is seen as the greatest good. Since they see obtaining things as the ultimate goal, they feel there is no need for strong spiritual foundations. We adamantly reject such a viewpoint. We cannot accept purely materialistic ideologies. We would rather believe in God in poverty than betray God in wealth. This is a basic creed for democracy, and we will never forget it. Furthermore, we believe that this is the path to a life of happiness, to progress, to prosperity, and truly good fortune.
Thus, we would work hand in hand with other countries in the world that also affirm the spiritual and love peace, especially our neighboring countries. We would work together to protect and spread democracy, and to promote universal and eternal peace.
China and the Philippines
Now I would like to speak to you all as a friend, and on behalf of the people of the Philippines, who have enjoyed centuries of close relations with your country’s people.
My words today come from deep in my heart, and also express the feelings of the people of the Philippines.
The friendship between China and the Philippines can be traced back to the year 200 CE. Chinese merchants at the time were already familiar with the place we now call the Philippines. Archeological findings in the Philippines have proven that people from China had visited at that time. Over the history of China’s many dynasties, there have also been records of journeys to the Philippines. In the sixteenth century, there were already Chinese people living in the Philippines and working as craftspeople.
Trade between China and the Philippines
The close relationship between the Chinese and Filipino people can be said to be a natural result of their large-scale trading relationship and their personal connections. The governments of China and the Philippines have shown a great cooperative spirit in maintaining these close relationships. This cooperative spirit is very special in terms of bilateral relations and international relations.
The economic and trade relationship between the Chinese and Filipino people has been expanding for several centuries, to the point where we must now maintain the closest possible relationship in order to maintain our mutual interests.
In the ten years prior to the Second World War, the total trade volume between China and the Philippines reached a record high of 16 million Philippine pesos in 1941. After the war, bilateral trade volume grew from the tiny 25,270 Philippine pesos of 1945 to the unprecedented 49.8 million Philippine pesos in 1948. However, it fell to 22 million Philippine pesos in 1949, a decrease of over fifty percent. This was when the Chinese government moved to Taiwan, causing trade to gradually decline between the two countries, culminating in a trade volume of merely 1.8 million Philippine pesos in 1954. Because the government of the Philippines has maintained a policy of not doing business with Communist China, there has been no trade of material goods between Mainland China and the Philippines.
Statistics show that the trade volume between China and the Philippines was 1.3 million Philippine pesos in 1952, gradually increasing to 4.49 million Philippine pesos in 1958. From January to November 1959, the bilateral trade volume amounted to 6.4 million Philippine pesos. Apart from 1955, in which Taiwan had a trade surplus with the Philippines, the Philippines has maintained a trade surplus every year in its trade with China. From January to November 1959, our trade to Taiwan was greater than Taiwan’s trade to us by 2.7 million Philippine pesos.
Over the past four years, Taiwan has been the fourth-largest purchaser of Philippine timber. In 1955, Taiwan was the fifth largest customer for beer produced in the Philippines, rising to second place this year. Manila hemp rope is another major Philippine export to Taiwan. Additionally, your country also imports peanuts, copal resin, rubber products, and metal ores from the Philippines.
On the other hand, the Philippines’ primary imports from Taiwan include industrial salt, fruits, vegetables, cooking oil, spices, and tea. In 1958, Taiwan was the Philippines’ largest supplier of industrial salt, surpassing the UK and USA.
The Republic of the Philippines and the Republic of China signed a trade agreement on October 18, 1956, in order to strengthen trade ties and increase shipments of goods between our two countries. To me personally, this is a particularly happy memory, as I was serving as the Vice President of the Philippines at the time, as well as its Secretary of Foreign Affairs. Thus, I had the tremendous honor of signing this document personally.
The contact between the Philippines and China has also naturally influenced the culture of the Filipino people. First contact between the Philippines and China took place approximately five hundred years before the Philippines first encountered the west. When the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who was sailing for Spain at the time, first arrived in the Philippines in 1521, the Spanish captain, sailors, soldiers, and missionaries found many Chinese villages all over the Philippine islands.
Originally, when Chinese merchants traveled to the Philippines for trade, they would only stay temporarily. However, later on some of them settled permanently there and married local Filipino people.
Gradually, thousands of Chinese people settled in the Philippines, bringing not only their goods but also the technologies for making these goods. They also brought their culture and language, which gradually became part of everyday life in the Philippines. It would be accurate to say that the long-term influence of China on the Philippines, in terms of culture, society, economy, and even politics, is no less than the influence of the USA and Spain on the Philippines.
The Chinese are the largest foreign group in the Philippines. The majority of naturalized citizens in the Philippines are ethnically Chinese. Furthermore, many natural-born Filipinos can trace their ancestry to China. In the last World War, the Philippines’ underground resistance against the Japanese included a group of Chinese anti-fascist fighters. In other words, we fought side by side with the Chinese in the Second World War, and together with other democratic allies we were able to emerge victorious together. China and the Philippines suffered together to achieve victory together. This alliance has evolved to become a close relationship of common interests. Now, we are faced with frequent invasions from communist totalitarianism, which is a major threat to the world, and once again this alliance has re-emerged to fight for the freedom of all mankind.
Communism excels at destroying human dignity. Therefore, all countries and peoples that advocate freedom, democracy, justice, and peace must find like-minded allies and work together in order to survive. This is a joining of minds based on the necessity of self-defense.
This consideration towards defending democracy wherever it is threatened has led to like-minded peoples feeling a sense of camaraderie towards others in similar positions. One well-known political analyst famously said, “Contact between the Chinese and Filipino peoples is in many ways manifested through the politics, economics, social organizations, and philosophies of Chinese cultural traditions. In other words, unlike western countries, the Chinese have never sought to expand the political control of their home country.”
Chinese people have only ever come to the Philippines for peaceful purposes. They have brought their skills, their frugality, their perseverance, and their friendship. They never violate the will of the Filipino people. They are truly the people of the Chinese government that still has relations with the Philippines. This China is the true China recognized by the Philippines and other free countries around the world. And fate wills it that there will only be one China in the end – the true China.
This agreement included a bilateral trade volume worth 4 million US dollars combined, but this was only the start. Later, the contents of the agreement came into force for both sides and both countries started to actively pursue the targets in the agreement, and records from 1959 show that the targeted trade volume had been surpassed.
Overseas Chinese in the Philippines
Overseas Chinese communities in the Philippines are the largest group of ex-pats in the Philippines. While we cannot say they account for a large percentage of the total population of the Philippines, the economic influence they wield is nonetheless very significant. They are thriving in the Philippines, which is just reward for their many virtues. Of course, their prosperity also means that they have some responsibilities towards local society. Among the ex-pats from your country, there are many outstanding merchants, technicians, and workers, and they have without doubt contributed a great deal to the development and advancement of the Philippines. As I mentioned earlier, the people of the Philippines have always seen these overseas Chinese as friends and guests. Therefore, as long as they are lawful and amicable residents, the government of the Philippines will continue to treat them fairly.
Many of the overseas Chinese in the Philippines originally ran domestic trade companies, and now they are expanding into other fields such as industry and finance. As you can imagine, these people have made crucial contributions to the national development of the Philippines. We will continue to view them as important contributors to the Philippine economy, and will treat them accordingly within the purview of the Philippines’ constitution and overall economic strategy.
There has been some misunderstanding among the Chinese people towards our “Philippines first” economic policy, leading to a fear that we will start pursuing exclusionary policies or government-granted monopolies. There are also worries that investments from foreigners in the Philippines will be unfairly discriminated against.
However, I would like to offer my guarantee that the government of the Philippines will treat all ex-pats in the country with fairness under this policy. The “Philippines first” policy is merely an effort to reclaim the autonomy over our economy and our lives, which had been lost after centuries of foreign rule. It is about my country reclaiming its economic independence, to keep it in line with our political independence.
Economic independence means, of course, controlling our natural resources, means of production, and distribution of wealth. The Filipino people’s participation in the economic development of their country must expand beyond their current supplementary role, otherwise the aforementioned goals can never be achieved. We do not plan to use expropriations or take unlawful actions, nor do we plan to impede or persecute foreigners in our country to attain economic independence. Instead, the achievement of our goals will be done in a constitutional, orderly, gradual, and fair process, one that does not deprive any foreigners of their rights as recognized under international law. Here I would like to reiterate to you all that, under the constitution of the Philippines, domestic laws must incorporate international law. Simply stated, this policy is a natural and proper application by the Filipino people to give them priority in the use of national resources. This is no different from how Chinese people would have priority in China, American people would have priority in the USA, and Japanese people would have priority in Japan, and is based on the same reasoning.
Like any other people who pursue friendliness, dignity, and pride, the Filipino people welcome friends and even strangers to their country. They will receive fair reward for their work and their investments, so that they may share in the prosperity they bring. However, as the original denizens of the Philippines, we must say that we are the masters of our country, and we will be the true authority of its destiny.
If our two countries encounter any issues, regardless of its nature, I believe that this principle provides a foundation for discussions between us, so that we can achieve a mutually satisfactory solution. For example, regarding the ongoing issue between our two countries related to the Philippine Immigration Act, the Secretary of Foreign affairs of the Philippines and the Chinese ambassador to the Philippines signed an agreement that three fundamental principles. This represents a fruitful solution to the issue. The three principles are:
(1) A solution to this issue should be found based on maximizing the interests of the two countries in
international affairs;
(2) The solution sought by our two countries should take into account the wide spectrum of humanitarian
considerations related to this issue.
(3) The Republic of China government acknowledges the necessity of maintaining the dignity of the
Philippines vis-à-vis all laws.
I firmly believe that these principles in the agreement are wise and fair, and I am certain that you share my view in this regard. Consequently, I believe our two countries will be able to achieve an ultimate solution that is acceptable to both sides. There are many people in the Philippines who feel that, in view of our countries’ harmonious history, our common interests, our shared challenges, and our strong collaborative relationship, this matter should be seen as a very minor one, and should be solved as soon as possible.
International Collaboration
I would now like to beg your indulgence as I say a few words on why our two countries have demonstrated such a strong collaborative spirit on the international stage.
The Philippines was one of the countries invited by the Republic of China government in 1949 to move its embassy in China from Nanjing to Guangzhou, and then to Taipei. The Philippines has always maintained diplomatic relations with the Republic of China government.
At the United Nations, the Philippines and China have always been sympathetic to each other’s proposals. The Philippines has offered its full support for the Republic of China’s re-election campaign to the United Nations Economic and Social Council, the International Court of Justice, and the Vice Presidency of the United Nations General Assembly. When the Philippines needed the support of the Republic of China at the UN, you have also always generously provided it.
In 1955, our highly-respected former President Ramon Magsaysay took a decisive stance regarding the events in Kinmen and Matsu. He said, and I quote, “Taiwan and the Philippines both have important roles in the joint defense of this region. Our two countries neighbor each other, and both are obliged to defend the other. Therefore, our two countries share the same interests in our resolute preservation of this defensive system. Thus, we cannot ignore what is happening in that region, and cannot refrain from expressing our concerns about the future of those outer islands. These islands must remain free, and under the control of our allies.”
The Senate and the House in the Congress of the Philippines passed a joint resolution in support of President Magsaysay’s policy declaration on this matter.
These events occurred due to the spontaneous and rigorous rapport between the peoples of China and the Philippines. Less than a year after the Philippines declared independence in 1946, China and the Philippines had signed a Treaty of Friendship. This treaty is a manifestation of the relationship between our countries, in terms of both its spontaneity and its nature.
Both of our countries love peace. We do not solve problems with force. We both agree that incidents should be referred to the International Court of Justice. We have both declared that human civilization must always strive towards peace.
Mr. President, honorable legislators, I must now ask whether dark clouds have covered the stars of hope, and whether we are abandoning our mission of peace in the face of these darkened skies. For there is no doubt that the global population is now living in a world of tension.
There is a wide array of things we must learn about, such as rockets, electronics, politics, diplomacy, and what it means to rule. These topics are rarely enjoyable, because they are often used for terrible purposes such as destruction and deception. When one war ends, another immediately starts. No one knows if we will ever see the end of war. It feels as if war is ongoing. When we speak of peace—a word we must now use cautiously—it seems to only refer to a brief respite from fighting. How is it that we do not know if have truly contributed to peace? How is it that peace has become only a lull in eternal conflict? But despite these shadows and darkness, the human spirit remains steadfast in its pursuit of the light—the light of peace.
Mr. President, honorable legislators, mankind must once again find everlasting peace. Mankind must find new life, and must achieve happiness. If all mankind can work together in this quest, then it can be achieved. I have come today to a neighboring, friendly country in order to join hands with you in the darkness, so that we may seek the light of world peace together. I am deeply touched by the warm welcome I have received in your country. Your country’s steadfast leader, President Chiang Kai-Shek, who has an enduring position in the hearts of all free peoples, reiterated in a conversation with me that he greatly admires and respects the people of the Philippines. During this trip to Taiwan and my interactions with your people, I have deeply felt our shared determination to serve the people and pursue our countries’ common goals. This determination will not waver regardless of what happens in our lives.
History has ordained that our two countries will stand resolutely together in our goal of building world peace. One manifestation of this is our mutual understanding of the necessity for global demilitarization under effective international monitoring and supervision. We both believe that the trillions of dollars being spent by major countries on weapons of destruction can be transferred to societal development and the advancement of humankind. This would eliminate poverty, ignorance, and crime for millions of people. Imagine if the unfathomable power of the atom, which nuclear weapon experts claim could destroy human civilization in a day, could be used instead for constructive purposes, to create wealth for people and advance their moral standards regardless of race, skin color, or faith. This would create an unbreakable spiritual bond between man and the universe. The world would have lasting peace. The world would be an amicable community, as if we were all sharing Holy Communion at the same table. Everyone would have freedom, prosperity, and happiness. I believe such a world, one with global democracy, can be achieved someday in our lifetimes. Finally, I would like to ask our Holy Father to offer His inspiration and encouragement to the people who will be deciding this issue of incomparable importance at the upcoming conference.
Thank you very much.
