TAIPEI - Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian told a Japanese
religious leader Tuesday that the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United
States also constituted a declaration of war against the rest of the world.
Chen said humankind must condemn any kind of war or violence, noting that the
terrorist attacks did not only cause massive destruction in the U.S., but also
dealt a major blow to the global economy.
''Taiwan and Japan have equally condemned such terrorist acts and unanimously
support the decisions and actions taken by the government of U.S. President
(George W.) Bush to combat terrorism,'' Chen told Einosuke Akitani, leader of
the Buddhist lay organization Soka Gakkai, in a meeting at the Presidential
Office.
Chen hailed Soka Gakkai, which also has members in Taiwan, for its pacifist
stance, saying lasting peace was the common aspiration of people around the
globe.
AP-NY-09-25-01 0536EDT
Copyright 2001 The Kyodo News Service.