During a meeting on the afternoon of December 16 with a delegation from the US Congressional Black Caucus, President Ma Ying-jeou expressed Taiwan's desire to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and further deepen bilateral economic and trade ties.
President Ma remarked that there were some problems in bilateral relations when he took office six years ago but, thanks to the efforts of both sides, these problems have been solved in a speedy manner, and mutual trust at the highest levels has been restored. For instance, he said, when he was inaugurated in October 2008, the US government announced a package of arms sales to Taiwan valued at over US$6 billion, and over the past six years the United States has sold Taiwan over US$18.3 billion of military equipment, which is the highest for any period over the past 20 years. Even more important, he noted, US presidents both Republican and Democrat have been quite forthcoming in approving the arms sales, so the government and people of the ROC will remember these gestures. He further called on the United States to help Taiwan obtain high-performance fighter jets and construct diesel-electric submarines "because we have already decided to build our own submarines."
The president also noted that the number of US Cabinet-level officials visiting Taiwan has increased considerably in recent years. In particular, in April of this year US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy visited Taiwan, the highest level US official to visit here in the past 14 years, he said. During her visit, it was announced that the United States would take part in the International Environmental Partnership established by Taiwan's Environmental Protection Administration, the president stated, adding that this marked the first time in decades that high-ranking Cabinet officials from Taiwan and the United States publicly announced the establishment of a partnership on a substantive issue. President Ma emphasized the significance of this development.
As for economic and trade relations, the president noted, Taiwan is the 10th largest trading partner of the United States, while the United States is Taiwan's second largest trading partner and the largest single source of foreign direct investment. He pointed out that the two sides in March 2013 resumed negotiations under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, which offers a platform to discuss trade and economic issues. The president expressed hope that a bilateral investment agreement can be signed as soon as possible, which would promote two-way investment and pave the way to other agreements between the two.
President Ma also briefed his visitors on Taiwan's achievements over the past six years in expanding foreign trade and promoting economic liberalization. He specifically mentioned the Cross-Straits Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, the Taiwan-Japan Bilateral Investment Arrangement, and economic cooperation and partnership agreements with New Zealand and Singapore. Taiwan, the president stated, has expressed its willingness to join the US-led TPP, and the United States has welcomed Taiwan's intention. President Ma said he deeply hopes that participation in the TPP will further boost bilateral economic and trade ties.
The president also mentioned that Taiwan and the United States have long maintained a close and cooperative relationship in international affairs. When he served as justice minister from 1993 to 1996, for example, the two sides worked together in the surveillance of drug shipments. In addition, he said, Taiwan has cooperated fully with the United States when the United Nations has imposed embargos on specific nations. President Ma noted that Taiwan and the United States have also coordinated closely in fighting the Ebola virus, providing assistance to refugees from ISIL, and conducting other international aid work. The assistance provided by Taiwan has been quite effective, the president said, adding that the international community has praised Taiwan for its efforts.
President Ma also expressed his deepest gratitude to the visitors for their efforts to promote relations between Taiwan and the United States. He ended his remarks by saying he hopes that the bilateral friendship will continue to grow in the future.
The delegation included members of the US House of Representatives Donald M. Payne, Jr., Yvette Clarke, and Andre Carson.