President Ma Ying-jeou met on the morning of August 29 with a delegation of members from the Committee on National Security of the Kansai Association of Corporate Executives. In addition to expressing hope that Japan will continue to support Taiwan's effort to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the president also called for continued strengthening of economic and trade cooperation between Taiwan and Japan to develop markets in third areas. This, he commented, will be conducive to the revitalization of industry in both nations.
In remarks, President Ma noted that the Kansai Association of Corporate Executives was founded in 1946 and is one of the most important economic bodies in the Kansai region, with members from important enterprises throughout the Kansai area.
Commenting on economic and trade relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, President Ma stated that the signing of the Cross-Straits Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) in 2010 has reduced tariffs on Taiwanese products exported to mainland China and thus spurred an increase in exports from Taiwan to the mainland, with small- and medium-sized enterprises especially benefitting from the agreement. The president added that the signing of the ECFA has also brought spillover benefits, with Singapore, New Zealand, and countries in Southeast Asia showing unprecedented interest in signing economic cooperation agreements with the ROC. President Ma pointed to the signing of the Taiwan-Japan Bilateral Investment Arrangement, which has helped to further deepen cooperation between the corporate sectors in the two countries.
With respect to economic and trade dealings between Taiwan and Japan, President Ma noted, Japan is Taiwan's third largest trading partner in the first half of 2014, and over the past 62 years Japanese direct investment in Taiwan has come to over JPY$1.8 trillion, with over 8,000 investments here. This is more than any other country, he said, and in addition to being Taiwan's primary source of foreign investment, Japan is also an important source of technology, with cooperation between the two sides covering a broad range of fields. Consequently, Taiwan signed the investment arrangement with Japan to encourage corporate investment, and also initiated the Taiwan-Japan Industrial Collaboration Bridging Project to jointly develop international markets. For instance, in October of last year, when Taiwanese and Japanese manufacturers participated in the METALEX (an international exhibition for machine tools and metalworking technology) in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City, a conference promoting interaction between manufacturers from the two nations was held, he said. A total of 88 Taiwanese firms and 30 Japanese companies took part, helping to forge cooperation in the local procurement of machinery components, the president stated. In addition, he pointed out, Taiwan in November of this year plans to hold a business fair in Indonesia and hopes that Japanese manufacturers will actively take part. The president said that bilateral cooperation in this respect can help the two sides to jointly develop business opportunities in third countries.
President Ma then discussed regional economic integration, noting that multilateral negotiations are currently being held on the American-led TPP. He said that Japan has already joined in the negotiations and that Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Press Secretary Kuni Sato has publicly stated that Japan welcomes Taiwan's entry into the trade bloc. In addition, the president stated, 57% (over US$320 billion) of Taiwan's total trade is carried out with members of the RCEP, which highlights the fact that the RCEP is every bit as important to Taiwan as the TPP. Therefore, he called for close cooperation between Japan and Taiwan, and for Japan to continue supporting Taiwan's entry into the TPP and the RCEP, so that both countries can work together for prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.
President Ma also mentioned that last year Taiwan and Japan signed a fisheries agreement that resolved a 40-year fisheries dispute. He pointed out that in the year prior to the signing of the agreement, the two nations had 17 fishing disputes in the waters around the Daioyutai Islets. However, since the signing of the agreement, the number of disputes has fallen to just one, he said. At the same time, fishermen from both nations have seen significant growth in the volume of high-quality catches, the president remarked, adding that the agreement has clearly brought peace and prosperity to both sides.
Lastly, President Ma addressed the recent torrential rains in Hiroshima, which triggered mudslides that have caused 71 deaths and left 15 missing. The president expressed condolences on behalf of the ROC government, and said he hopes that the rescue and reconstruction work in the disaster area will proceed smoothly so that the lives of local residents can soon return to normal.
The delegation included Kansai Association of Corporate Executives' National Security Committee Representative Directors Sadao Kato and Kazutoshi Murao, as well as Managing Director Jun Sato.