The following are excerpts from Taiwan's president-elect Chen Shui-bian's victory speech:

"First of all, with tremendous solemn and modest feeling we would like to pay our appreciation to the people in Taiwan, this piece of land of Taiwan, and more appreciation goes to [party] Chairman Lin Yi-hsiung, all predecessors, and advanced comrades of the DPP, in addition to president [of the Academia Sinica academic institute] Lee Yuan-tseh [Chen's proposed candidate for premier] and the group of national policy advisers who bravely threw in their support.

We wish to thank various countries all over the world for their concern and support for Taiwan for a long period of time. Consequently, Taiwan was able to complete its presidential election smoothly.

Today, Taiwan has written a new page in the history of democratic development and brought along a new opportunity for peace and democracy in the Asia-Pacific region.

Development

Taiwan has also provided a specific model for the third wave of the global democratic process.

The government of the entire people under the Chen Shui-bian/Annette Lu team will use Taiwan's experiences in development to help promote democracy and safeguard human rights in the international community and help Third World countries facilitate reforms and development so as to fulfil our responsibilities as a member of the international community.

Our current election is a pride which belongs not only to the Taiwan people but which is also jointly shared by Chinese people all over the world.

Stability

We have identical ties of blood and culture. Through facilitating further exchanges and interactions with patience and mutual respects, we hope to usher in a new harmonious and happy century for the Chinese community.

Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is the common expectation of the people on both sides.

In the future we must, with the greatest good intention and determination, carry out all-encompassing constructive communication and dialogue. With the prerequisite of ensuring state security and the people's interests, we are willing to negotiate on cross-strait direct transport and trade links, investment, a peace agreement, a military mutual-confidence-building mechanism and other issues.

We also sincerely welcome Mr Jiang Zemin and Mr Zhu Rongji [Chinese President and Premier], as well as Mr Wang Daohan [chairman of mainland China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait], to visit Taiwan.

Annette Lu and I are also willing to pay a reconciliation and communication visit to China's mainland before assuming office.

Peace

We believe the leaders of both sides will use all their wisdom and courage for the future benign development that both sides are concerned about and stride forward for the everlasting goal of good-intention reconciliation, active co-operation and everlasting peace.

The result of the election may have the problem of temporary victory or defeat. However, we believe the end of the election is the beginning of reconciliation.

We will invite representatives from the Democratic Progressive Party, the Kuomintang, the New Party, the Taiwan Independence Party and people with no party affiliation as soon as possible to form a supra-party group to iron out, with the broadest mind and greatest respect, the conflicts and rifts that have arisen during the election process.

Responsible

Annette Lu and I promise to the people of Taiwan that we will practice multiparty politics, put a stop to money- and gang-linked politics, jointly build a virtuous all-people government and maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait.

I believe these also represent the ardent expectations of the people. Annette Lu and I will work to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait with a rational and responsible attitude, improve people's lives and build an even better future for Taiwan.

Beginning today, I, Annette Lu and the DPP will shoulder the mission entrusted by the people and history. Let us work together for the future of Taiwan's 23 million compatriots.

May God protect the people of Taiwan. May God protect Taiwan, our eternal mother."

BBC Monitoring (http://www.monitor.bbc.co.uk), based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.