What democracy and socialism teach us is to live life with dignity. The ultimate mission of a government is to make its people live such life. Therefore, it is important to bring about economic development that would constantly improve people's lives.

It is not enough for a government to only increase its national income. It has to create an atmosphere in which its citizens can lead a noble, spiritual life. It is the responsibility of the government, too, to take every possible measure to ensure every working-age citizen finds a job. That apart, the government also has to promote social education to teach people the true worth of human beings and make them aware of their individual contribution to society.

The mainland's economy is still booming, and the government is making efforts to build a knowledge-based and spiritual society. It is taking measures to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor and ensure people live a decent and dignified life.

But it is individuals that make up society; the nature of a society depends upon the character of its individuals. Let me give an example to illustrate the point. I was in New York recently, where my daughter narrated me an incident: After a boy snatched a purse from a Taiwan woman on a New York street, she chased him to his house. When the boy's grandmother opened the door, the Taiwan woman told her about the snatching. The grandmother not only ordered the boy to return the purse and apologized to the woman, but also called police to warn her grandson so that he would not commit a crime again.

Individual honesty does count, for it sets examples for the next generation.

But the sad truth is that corrupt officials exist on the mainland and Taiwan both, with Chen Shui-bian being the most notorious example. But apart from punishing such officials, it is also important to analyze and fix the problems that have made them corrupt.

Moral education is important for building a harmonious and progressive society. The maxims of China's ancient sages are still relevant. Though society has undergone great changes, humans still have commiseration, a heart full of humility and deference, a heart that differentiates between right and wrong.

People on the mainland and Taiwan both are Chinese, who can look back on their glorious history and culture. Only by making efforts to ensure people value and carry forward this culture can we be true Chinese.

Hopefully compatriots on the two sides of the Straits feel the same and become models for all human beings in the 21st century.

The author is a professor at Chinese Culture University in Taipei.