"We resolve to maintain stable cross-strait relations and turn the former 'killing field' into a 'peace square, '" Ma said at the first plenary session of the 100th National Day Celebrations Organizing Committee.

The president added that he hopes the country will be able to lay a solid foundation for its second 100 years as it marks its 100th birthday.

Ma noted that the primary goal of the national founding father Dr. Sun Yat-sen in rising against the imperial Qing Dynasty and establishing the Republic of China was to implement the Three Principles of the People that conform with the ideal of government "of the people, by the people and for the people" as advocated by the late U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.

With this in mind, Ma said, the ROC's developmental history could be viewed in two stages.

"The first 38 years were on the Chinese mainland and were characterized by successive civil wars and Japanese invasion," Ma said.

The second phase began in 1949 when the ROC government moved its seat to Taiwan, he added. The Battle of Kuningtou, in which the ROC forces fought off the invading Chinese communists in October 1949 to maintain control of the outlying island of Kinmen, was a watershed event that ushered in a new era of separate rule on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, he noted.

"The victory in the Kuningtou battle enabled our country to enjoy rare peace and develop into a thriving economic powerhouse," Ma said, adding that history has demonstrated the importance of peace in national development.

"Peace is a key catalyst for national development, while war is invariably a precursor to national destruction... We should treasure the unprecedented peace and prosperity that we have worked so hard to create over the past six decades," Ma added.

Touting the country's political achievements, Ma recalled that in a congratulatory message to him in 2008, former U.S. President George W. Bush praised Taiwan as a beacon of democracy for Asia and the world.

On the economic front, Ma said many countries are amazed at Taiwan's capability to manufacture a vaccine for influenza A(H1N1) infection, more commonly known as swine flu.

"The swine flu vaccine epitomizes our progress in biotechnology development, " he noted, adding that Taiwan is more than willing to share its capabilities with other countries around the globe.

However, while economic and infrastructural development are indications of a country's material strength, it is cultural development that makes a country great, he said.

In a democratic and liberal environment, Ma said, Taiwan has developed a culture that integrates Chinese heritage and home-grown Taiwanese characteristics.

At ceremony on Oct. 10 to mark the 98th National Day, Ma announced the formation of a preparatory committee for the 100th National Day celebrations.

No National Day celebrations were held this year as the nation was mourning the loss of more than 700 lives during Typhoon Morakot in August.

Ma has appointed Vice President Vincent Siew as chairman of the 100th National Day Organizing preparatory committee, and Premier Wu Den-yih and Legislative Yuan speaker Wang Jin-pyng were named vice chairmen.

The 111 members of the committee were drawn from the government, industrial, business, charity, arts and culture, show business, academic and sports sectors.

The committee will pool resources from the central and local governments and the private sector to design celebratory programs for the whole year.

Siew said a private foundation will be formally set up in December to raise funds and help with the planning of festivities.

In addition, Siew said, the foundation will solicit donations from the private sector to help finance the centenary National Day celebrations.

(By Garfie Li and Sofia Wu)