President Ma Ying-jeou met with Mr. James S. Cheng, Secretary of Commerce and Trade of the US State of Virginia, and Mrs. Cheng at the Presidential Office on the morning of June 17. The president, on behalf of the government and people of the ROC, extended a warm welcome to the couple on their visit to Taiwan.
The president remarked that Secretary Cheng left Taiwan and immigrated to the United States when he was three years old. After graduating, he established Computer & Hi-tech Management (CHM), a technology consulting firm. That company grew from a staff of around 10 to over 500 people and chalked up annual revenues of US$90 million. In January of this year, Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell appointed Mr. Cheng to the position of Secretary of Commerce and Trade for the state, with his responsibility being to expand business opportunities for companies in Virginia. Secretary Cheng's wife Jeanette Wang is a household name throughout Taiwan because of her beautiful singing voice. Her most famous song "The Skies of Taipei" is a classic here. She is coming to Taiwan this time as a representative of the state's tourism bureau. President Ma said that Secretary and Mrs. Cheng play important roles in Virginia's government and are the pride of Taiwan.
President Ma commented that the United States is the most popular destination for Taiwan students to study overseas, and many students are studying in Virginia. In addition, trade and economic ties between the ROC and Virginia are extremely close. The president said that since his inauguration, relations between Taiwan and the United States have improved significantly and mutual trust has been restored at the highest levels. Consequently, former President George W. Bush two years ago and current President Barack Obama have both agreed to sell arms to Taiwan. The president furthermore said that the improvement in relations between Taiwan and mainland China has enabled Taiwan-US ties to become closer. Taiwan now acts in the role of "peacemaker" rather than "troublemaker," thereby enabling the United States to concurrently maintain a positive relationship with both Taiwan and mainland China. The American Congress and administration have been quite supportive of this development.
The president said that Taiwan and mainland China are presently negotiating an Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA). He commented that the United States in principle is extremely supportive of this development, as anything that reduces tension in the Taiwan Strait and increases interaction is in the interest of the United States. President Ma stressed that while not everyone here supports the ECFA, the government will abide by the principle of "putting Taiwan first for the benefit of the people." In the course of signing this agreement, the government will not in any way sacrifice the ROC's sovereignty or dignity, he noted. The pact will be between equals, and will feature dignity and mutual benefit for both sides, he said, adding that it will offer Taiwan even better opportunities for development.
President Ma told Secretary Cheng that Taiwan and the United States are also discussing a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), as well as an extradition agreement, and Taiwan also hopes to be included in the US visa-waiver program. The president said he hopes that Secretary Cheng will be able to provide assistance on these issues, enabling interaction between the two sides to become even closer.
Secretary and Mrs. Cheng came to the Presidential Office in the morning to meet President Ma. Also sitting in on the meeting was National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Chih-kung Liu.