President Ma Ying-jeou met on February 24 with former President of the Philippines Fidel V. Ramos at the Presidential Office, and on behalf of the government and people of the ROC (Taiwan), extended a cordial welcome.
President Ma noted that prior to becoming president, Mr. Ramos served as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces and also Secretary of National Defense. He has an enormous wealth of experience in the political and economic arenas. Since his father once served as the Philippines Ambassador to the Republic of China, former President Ramos previously resided in Taiwan for a period during his childhood and therefore has a deep attachment to Taiwan. He has made friends with many in this country’s ruling and opposition parties, helping to foster a deep interest in Taiwan’s security and economic development. Although he is now retired, the former president still maintains close contacts with Taiwan, President Ma said.
President Ma commented that the geographical proximity of the Philippines and Taiwan has helped to underpin bilateral trade, which is about US$7 billion annually. In addition, over 90,000 Philippine nationals work in Taiwan and make an enormous contribution to Taiwan society. The president said he became deeply aware of the importance of the Philippine workers when he served as Mayor of Taipei. The president noted that the number of foreign laborers here is declining due to the present economic downturn. However, he believes that the number of foreign workers will return to its original level after the economy recovers.
The president said relations between the two countries are poised to continue to develop, adding that the close friendship between the two countries is extremely important. President Ma said Philippines Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila recently visited Taiwan, and had a fruitful exchange of opinions on economic and trade issues with his counterparts here. This demonstrates that in addition to the frequent interactions of the private sectors of the two countries, the two governments also maintain close contacts. President Ma hopes that joint efforts among the official and private sectors will enable relations between Taiwan and the Philippines to continue to move forward.
President Ma stressed that at a time when Taiwan and mainland China are improving relations, he also hopes to see better ties with ASEAN. Former President Ramos presently serves as Chairman of the Boao Forum for Asia, and he is a deeply respected figure throughout Asia. The president said that if the former president is able to provide assistance, this would be of great help in bolstering relations between Taiwan and ASEAN.
Former President Ramos said Taiwan provides work opportunities for many people from his country and Taiwan is kind and warm to the Philippine nationals working here. He expressed his appreciation to President Ma in this regard. He also expressed his congratulations to President Ma for winning last year’s presidential election and to the Kuomintang for emerging victorious in legislative elections. Furthermore, he said that the peaceful development of relations between Taiwan and mainland China is positive for the Philippines.