Dear Members:

The holding of a congress by our party at this particular time has special significance. The dates for this Congress were approved by late Chairman Chiang Ching-kuo while he was still with us. After his passing, we followed the plan for this Congress as originally drafted, fully demonstrating the enthusiasm of our party members in carrying out the unfinished work of Mr. Chiang, as well as our solidarity and our resolution to surge ahead.

After the passing of late Chairman Chiang, I accepted, at the call of the party, the position of acting chairman. This is to me a great responsibility. The bequeathed teachings of Dr. Sun Yat-sen and late President Chiang Kai-shek are my guidance at all times. In addition, I try to do my best according to the personal exhortations I received from late Chairman Chiang Ching-kuo during his lifetime. I would also want to ask each one of you, senior members and members, to generously offer your comments and suggestions.

An overview of the current international situation reveals an increasing loosening of polarization in the world, and an increasingly clear trend of pluralistic dispersion of power. However, the separation between democracy and totalitarianism, freedom and slavery, and friend and foe has in no way disappeared. Our fundamental view is that chaos in the world stems from Communist expansionism. Our basic stand is that regardless of changes in the international situation, our commitment to democracy, our persistence in our anti-Communist goal, and our stand of protecting and maintaining world peace, will never change. Our fundamental course of action is to adopt, with greater confidence, an even more practical, flexible, and forward-looking course of action, to upgrade and make breakthroughs in our current foreign relations, which at present are mainly substantive in nature rather than formal. We are ready and anxious to share the lessons and fruits of our "Taiwan experience" internationally, with all countries that are seekers of freedom and peace. We will participate in the international community and assume our international duties based on the principles of equality and reciprocity, making the Republic of China an international force that cannot be ignored.

I would like to offer the following ideas and suggestions for the reference of all party elders and members, and ask for your suggestions and opinions on them:

First, to strengthen the confidence of the people, we must develop and promote traditional Chinese culture as a base. We must at the same time emphasize that any advocacy of dividing our national territory is the common enemy of all the people, incompatible with the great cause of nationalism, and not allowed by the laws of our country; it will inevitably be rejected by the people.

Second, to practice constitutional democracy is the goal toward which our party has constantly devoted its full efforts. We should accelerate the implementation of the reforms initiated by late Chairman Chiang Ching-kuo with an even more active and responsible attitude. From central to local government, from representative bodies to the administrative agencies, all should make a thorough self-review, based on actual needs, and strengthen and improve where required, to fortify the substance and function of democracy.

Third, we must strengthen our national security to lay a firm foundation for social development. We would lose everything if we have no security. Our national development must proceed under the premise of national defense and social stability. Even more importantly, we must not slacken our preparedness for war and our alertness due to the "united front" peace offensives of the Chinese Communists.

Fourth, we must accelerate economic development. Economic development has long been one aspect in which we can take pride. As international competition becomes increasingly fierce, and as our own economic structure enters into a transitional phase, we need even greater determination with even more forward-looking planning. We must accelerate land development and effectively use the resources we have. We must expand our public investment to give full play to our economic potential. We must reform our financial system to actively improve the investment climate. We must promote scientific and technological development to accelerate the upgrading of industry as rapidly as possible. We must improve our marketing system to protect the rights of farmers and consumers. In summary, we must expend our fullest efforts to upgrade production and achieve equitable distribution, to accomplish the goals of the Principle of Social Well-Being, namely, prosperity and equitable distribution of wealth.

Fifth, we must raise the quality of life. The goal of our entire national development should be to raise the quality of life of our people. We must increase our investment in education in response to the long-term needs of our national development, and to realize the ideal of lifetime education. We must harmonize labor-management relations to ensure the smooth development of production. We must strengthen environmental protection. We must establish a social security system to assist the aged, debilitated, handicapped, and ill. We must accelerate rural development to reduce the developmental gap between city and country.

Today, faced at the same time with both a difficult anti-Communist struggle and a new situation of democratization and liberalization, we must have an even more comprehensive plan, and apply modern knowledge, concepts and methods. We must actively innovate to make our party organization even more democratic and sound, our work methods more aggressive and thorough, and the goals of our party policies better tailored to the people's needs. I believe that starting now:

--our party's organization must follow policy demands and changes in the environment; it must continually renew, improve, and strengthen itself;

--our party's policies must keep in step with trends of the time, reflecting the wishes of the people;

--actions taken by the party must be practical and workable; they must penetrate deep into the grassroots level; and they must achieve their intended goals;

--our party's information campaign must be lively and relevant, communicating its message clearly; it must reflect a true understanding of what the people think and feel, be directed at the people's needs, and serve as a bridge of communication between the party and the people;

--our party must enthusiastically take the initiative in offering services at appropriate time and place, so that our party is one that all the people truly support and identify with;

--our party's training must combine theory with practice, taking into consideration the cultivation of party consciousness and the selection of talented members, so that the party's policies do not end up empty and meaningless, and the party will have no lack of workers.

--in its development, the party must keep its finger on the pulse of the society, so it can expand its space for activity, and lay a firm social foundation for the party.

Party members: China's destiny depends on the strength, prosperity, and progress of Taiwan, our bastion of national revival; and Taiwan's future is closely linked to the accomplishment of the great task of reunifying China under the Three Principles of the People.

I wish great success to this Congress, and good health and happiness to each one of you. Thank you.

[Picture Caption]

Chairman Lee Teng-hui delivered an opening address. (Photo by Lin Cheng-chun)

On the thirteenth, the congress closed; here Chairman Lee poses for a photo with the Chinese and foreign reporters who covered the event. (Photo by Lee Pei-hui)

On the thirteenth, the congress closed; here Chairman Lee poses for a photo with the Chinese and foreign reporters who covered the event. （Photo by Lee Pei-hui）