President Ma Ying-jeou met on the afternoon of July 29 with a delegation led by Belizean Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Gaspar Vega and Mrs. Vega. The president welcomed the visitors to Taiwan and briefed them on achievements in bilateral cooperation of agricultural technology, education, and culture.
In remarks, President Ma stated that at the end of June he led a delegation to the Republic of Panama to attend the inauguration of President Juan Carlos Varela, and at that time met with Deputy Prime Minister Vega. President Ma also noted that this was the second visit to the ROC for the deputy prime minister, who first came here four years ago. The president commented that while many changes have taken place in the world since then, the alliance between the ROC and Belize remains quite stable.
President Ma noted that in 2010 and again in 2011, prior to the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Deputy Prime Minister Vega sent a letter to the conference secretariat to express Belize's support for participation by the ROC in the UFCCC. In addition, during each of the conferences, Deputy Prime Minister Vega also publicly urged the international community to invite Taiwan to join in work to prevent global warming. The president expressed his deepest gratitude for these gestures.
President Ma told the visitors that the ROC is not only interested in taking part in international carbon reduction organizations, but has also in recent years actively sought to reduce carbon emissions at home. For instance, he said, while Taiwan is home to about 0.3% of the world's total population, prior to his taking office in 2008 it was responsible for 1% of the world's carbon emissions. After years of efforts by the government, he noted, Taiwan's carbon emissions in 2011 fell to 0.84% of the world total, putting it in 23rd place in the world. At the same time, the ROC's energy efficiency from 2008 to 2011 increased by an average of 2.3% annually, he said, which shows that the ROC is serious about reducing carbon emissions.
The president then mentioned that when he and First Lady Chow Mei-ching (周美青) visited Belize in May 2009, they met with Governor General of Belize Sir Colville Norbert Young and Prime Minister Dean Barrow, and exchanged opinions on a broad range of issues of mutual concern. President Ma pointed out that during his visit he also tasted some of the agricultural products grown in Belize with the assistance of the ROC's agricultural technology mission there, adding that the outstanding quality of the rice grown there made a deep impression on him. He expressed hope that the ROC can further assist Belize in becoming a rice cultivation center in Central America.
As for the results of bilateral cooperation, President Ma told Deputy Prime Minister Vega that in November 2012 the government of Belize began granting visa-free courtesies to ROC nationals, becoming the 131st country in the world where ROC nationals enjoy such treatment. He said that a total of 140 jurisdictions now provide ROC nationals with either visa-free treatment or landing visas. In the area of agricultural technology, the ROC and Belize in December of last year jointly initiated aquaculture and citrus greening disease cooperation projects, he remarked, while the ROC is also looking into the possibility of carrying out projects to improve sheep breeding, cultivate healthy banana seedlings, and develop farm food safety systems, with the hope of further assisting in nurturing agricultural talent in Belize.
With respect to interaction between the two countries on the education and cultural fronts, President Ma said, as of the end of last year, a total of 232 outstanding students from Belize had come to Taiwan to engage in studies at the undergraduate, graduate, or doctorate levels. To date, over 100 of these students have completed their studies here and returned home to contribute to their nation, he mentioned. In addition, the president noted, a number of students from Belize are enrolled in the School of Medicine for International Students that has been designed specifically for students from allied nations, he stated, adding that he is pleased to see these developments.
President Ma stressed that improved relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have enabled Taiwan to expand its relationships in the international community. A number of nations have already signed economic cooperation agreements with Taiwan, and the number of visits by foreigners to Taiwan has increased from over three million six years ago to over eight million as of last year, he said. Looking ahead, the president called for continued strengthening of cooperation and a deepening of friendship to benefit the people of the two nations.
Also in the delegation was Ministry of Natural Resources and Agriculture Chief Executive Officer Jose Alpuche.