President Ma Ying-jeou met with US Senator Dianne Feinstein, Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and her husband at the Presidential Office on the afternoon of June 5. The president, on behalf of the government and people of the ROC, expressed a cordial welcome to them on their visit to Taiwan.
President Ma noted that Senator Feinstein has previously served as Mayor of San Francisco. She also presided over the inauguration of US President Barack Obama, he said, adding that Senator Feinstein is very friendly to Taiwan. She is making a stop in Taiwan after completing visits to Beijing and Shanghai, which has become possible thanks to the improvement in relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, he said.
The president commented that Shanghai and Taipei both have sister city relationships with San Francisco. The mayor of Shanghai previously visited Taipei, and Taiwan is participating in the Shanghai World Expo, having set up Taiwan and Taipei pavilions. The Taipei pavilion showcases the wireless broadband system in use throughout Taipei City as well as the recycling system adopted by the city, he said. Besides Taipei and Shanghai sharing friendly relations with San Francisco, the interaction has also established a strong foundation between them, which he said is also an important result of the improvement in cross-strait relations.
President Ma furthermore said that Taiwan and mainland China have signed 12 agreements on issues such as direct flights, food safety, liberalization of cross-strait ties in the financial sector, and cross-strait cooperation in combating crime. In addition, he said, charter flights will begin flying between Taipei's Songshan Airport and Shanghai's Hongqiao Airport on June 14. The warming of ties between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait has enabled cross-strait relations to be the most stable that they have been in 60 years, he said, adding that this is beneficial to peace and stability in Northeast Asia.
President Ma expressed his hopes that an Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) can be signed between Taiwan and mainland China soon. After the pact is approved by the legislature, it will mark an important step in the institutionalization of cross-strait economic and trade relations, he said. Meanwhile, at the same time that cross-strait relations are strengthening, Taiwan's relations with the United States, Japan, the European Union, Southeast Asia, New Zealand, and Australia are also improving. In fact, he said, Taiwan's pursuit of improved cross-strait relations has won strong support from the US government, he said.
The president also stated that over the past two years, he has made transit stops in the United States five times, and each such stop has been handled very well. Mutual trust has been established between the two sides at the highest levels and relations are moving forward in a steady manner, he said. The president expressed his special appreciation for the assistance lent by the United States over the past two years that has helped Taiwan participate in international organizations. In particular, Taiwan was able to attend the World Health Assembly in May of last year and again this year. This has created a foundation for Taiwan to have greater opportunities to participate in international affairs, he said.
President Ma commented that US Deputy Secretary of State James B. Steinberg on May 10 mentioned the ECFA in a public address, stating that the ECFA is quite important and can serve to create a solid foundation for cross-strait ties. This will be extremely important in promoting peace, resolving differences, and avoiding conflict, said Deputy Secretary Steinberg, who added that using peaceful means to resolve conflicts is in the interest of all parties in the region.
Meanwhile, President Ma remarked that Taiwan-US relations are moving forward step by step. He said that Taiwan's efforts to sign an extradition agreement with the United States are progressing well. He said he hopes both sides will sign a pact in the near future, which he believes will be of great assistance in jointly combating crime. At the same time, he said Taiwan also hopes to see progress in talks under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) between Taiwan and the United States, as this would benefit bilateral investment and trade.
Lastly, the president noted that it has been eight years since Senator Feinstein's last visit to Taiwan and that Taiwan has changed enormously over this period. While Senator Feinstein's stay in Taiwan is short, he said he hopes she and her husband will have the opportunity to meet with a wide range of people here, thereby understanding the latest developments in Taiwan and helping to create good prospects for bilateral relations.
Senator Feinstein was accompanied to the Presidential Office in the afternoon by Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Chin-tien Yang to meet President Ma. Also sitting in on the meeting was National Security Council Secretary-General Hu Wei-jen.