President Ma Ying-jeou delivered an address at the National Assembly of the Republic of Panama at 11:00 a.m. on July 2 Panama time (12:00 a.m., July 3, Taipei time). In his address at the first meeting of a new session of the National Assembly, President Ma commended the people and government of Panama for the democratic example they have set.
In light of the recent coup in Honduras, a democratically elected president in that nation was forced into exile. The president said the Republic of China has consistently supported a political system based on freedom, democracy and the rule of law. Therefore, it condemns any action that contravenes democracy and the rule of law. At the same time, he said, he hopes that Honduran society will return to constitutional order as soon as possible.
In the afternoon, President Ma boarded a train operated by Panama Railway to Colon, where he toured the Evergreen Marine container facilities. He also received a briefing from company officials there on its state of operations. In the evening, the president held a banquet for representatives of the overseas compatriot community in Panama at his hotel.
In an address to the gathering, President Ma said that no matter how tight his schedule might be, he would not miss a chance to meet with members of the overseas compatriot community. He said that ROC overseas compatriots are extremely special in that they are both large number and extremely patriotic. Overseas compatriots from Taiwan also play an important role in passing along the Chinese cultural heritage, he said. President Ma remarked that in the morning he paid a visit to the Chinese-Panamanian Cultural Center (Sun Yat-sen Institute) where he saw many overseas compatriots giving of their time and money to pass along the legacy of Chinese culture. The president said he was deeply moved by what he saw. He commented that in the afternoon he boarded a train that took him 76 kilometers to Colon. The president noted that historical sources indicate that at the time many ethnic Chinese were involved in building the infrastructure and some even lost their lives. This shows the important contribution made by overseas compatriots in the development of Panama, he said.
President Ma said that since taking office, he began to promote reconciliation in cross-strait relations, adding that he hoped to extend this initiative to the ROC's international relationships. The president said he has advocated policies emphasizing flexible diplomacy and a diplomatic truce. Over the past year, relations between Taiwan and mainland China, as well as between the two in the international arena, have warmed considerably. The two sides are gradually reducing unnecessary contention, he said. The president remarked that this marks an important achievement by the government in the area of diplomacy.
President Ma also noted that in his address to Panama's National Assembly in the morning, he especially stressed his hopes for even stronger cooperative relations between the ROC and Panama. He mentioned that cooperation between the countries should be largely project-oriented, as this is what will truly benefit the people. President Ma said that Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli hopes to establish a mass rapid transit system in his country and has asked Taiwan to offer the benefit of its experience in this respect. He stressed that the ROC is willing to share its experience with Panama and has instructed the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other related agencies to organize an ad hoc committee after returning to Taiwan to provide information required by Panama. The president said that he hopes suggestions can be provided as soon as possible and that Taiwan will do its utmost to assist Panama in completing construction of a mass rapid transit system.
President Ma also said that during his discussions with President Martinelli, the Panamanian leader specially remarked that relations between countries are based on trust, just like contacts among people. President Martinelli said he will continue to maintain friendly relations with the ROC. In addition, President Ma said he told President Martinelli that if Panama has the need to develop economic and trade relations with mainland China in the future, he would not stand in its way. However, he said he hopes Panama will continue to place emphasis on and maintain strong ties with the ROC. The present situation meets Taiwan's expectations, he said, adding that he hopes overseas compatriots will rest assured of the situation. Regardless, he said, the government will always support overseas compatriots, and overseas compatriots will always support the government.