President Ma Ying-jeou on the morning of December 17 at the Presidential Office met with United States Congressman Darrell Issa and extended him a warm welcome to Taiwan on behalf of the ROC (Taiwan) government.
President Ma commented that Congressman Issa, who comes from California, is a senior member of the House of Representatives' Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Congressman Issa is quite familiar with the interactive relationship between the American administration and Congress. The president said he hopes Congressman Issa will take advantage of this visit to contact and meet with people from different sectors here, helping to foster cooperation between the two sides in intelligence information. This is sure to benefit relations between Taiwan and the United States, as well as their national security, he said.
Congressman Issa expressed his appreciation to President Ma for taking time out of his busy schedule to meet with him. He also thanked the government here for making various arrangements for him during this trip. Congressman Issa also commented that since taking office, the new administration here has been responsible for establishing a strong foundation for relations to develop between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. This has not only reduced tensions between the two sides, but also is helping to foster a more peaceful and stable climate in the Asia-Pacific region.
Congressman Issa was accompanied to the Presidential Office in the morning by Ministry of Foreign Affairs Secretary General Ssu-tsun Shen and American Institute in Taiwan Taipei Office Director Stephen Young to meet President Ma. Also in attendance was National Security Council Advisor Dr. Philip Y. M. Yang.