President Ma Ying-jeou on the morning of October 11 at the Presidential Building met with Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) President and CEO Mr. John Hamre. The CSIS is an American think tank based in Washington D.C. President Ma extended a warm welcome to Mr. Hamre and other members of the visiting group on making a special visit to Taiwan to attend a seminar.
President Ma said that the US administration has formally notified Congress of its approval to sell arms to Taiwan. He said that this development is extremely important to relations between Taiwan and the United States. On the one hand, acquisition of the arms will satisfy Taiwan's defensive needs, while on the other hand it displays Taiwan's determination to defend itself.
President Ma said the improvement of relations between Taiwan and Mainland China is continuing on a steady path. In the middle of June of this year, negotiations between the two sides resumed after a hiatus lasting 10 years. The talks yielded quick agreements on liberalizing charter flights between the two sides, allowing Mainland Chinese tourists to visit Taiwan and the exchange of the currencies used on either side of the Taiwan Strait, he said. The president said that this work was only the beginning. He said that the two sides are presently working on a number of issues including enabling airliners to fly straight paths between the two sides, initiating charter cargo flights and direct maritime transport between Taiwan and Mainland China. He said that while some of these issues are only technical in nature, liberalization with respect to each issue marks the first respective breakthroughs in 60 years. As a result, some time is needed for both sides to adapt to the new situation. The president said he is confident that over the coming several months, negotiations between the two sides will yield concrete results.
President Ma furthermore said that in an effort to expand room for Taiwan in the international arena, the nation adopted a more pragmatic attitude in filing a motion to the United Nations (UN) in September. It no longer applied to enter the UN using the name "Taiwan." Rather, it has called on the international community to take note and understand that the 23 million people of Taiwan should be allowed to have meaningful participation in the activities of UN-related agencies. President Ma said it is clear that our objective is to focus on the World Health Assembly, which is held annually under the World Health Organization.
Lastly, President Ma said that Taiwan will continue to discuss with Mainland China the issue of space for Taiwan in participating in international activities. However, he said, Taiwan's standpoint remains extremely clear. Any agreement or participation must ensure our sovereignty and maintain Taiwan's interests. Despite the constant criticism of opposition parties to the government's moves, to this point the government has not harmed Taiwan's dignity in any way, he said. On the contrary, Taiwan has gained even more friendship than before, helping to make up for the damage created in the past and enabling many of its friends to regain confidence in Taiwan. As a result, the president said he believes government reforms are necessary and effective, whether it be in terms of diplomacy, cross-strait affairs or national defense issues.