President Ma Ying-jeou attended the opening ceremonies of the 8th Annual Global Views Business Forum on the morning of October 18. Besides delivering remarks to the gathering, the president also engaged in discussions with conference host Professor C. V. Chen, Committee of 100 Vice Chairman David C. Chang, iD SoftCapital Group Chairman Stan Shih, and Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao Chief Editor Lim Jim Koon.
In an address to the participants, President Ma said that the government over the past two years has pursued deregulation, reconstruction, tax cuts, and liberalization measures in an effort to gradually overcome the challenges brought on by economic recession, the H1N1 influenza, and Typhoon Morakot—all of which took place around the same time. This year, he said, policy objectives have focused on the merging of various counties and cities, government restructuring, educational reform, and judicial reform. These initiatives are aimed at improving governmental efficiency.
The president noted that Taiwan and mainland China in June of this year signed the cross-strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA). This pact will not only hasten Taiwan's internationalization and prevent Taiwan's economy from being marginalized, but will also put cross-strait economic and trade relations on a systematic footing. The agreement took effect on September 12, and some time within six months thereafter the two sides expect to start up negotiations on other topics, such as trade in goods and services, investment guarantees, and a dispute resolution mechanism. President Ma reiterated that while the ECFA is helpful, it is by no means a panacea for all Taiwan's ills. Taiwan must cultivate soft power and strengthen its economy, he said, adding that this will be key to its future survival.
President Ma specially quoted Harvard University Professor Joseph Nye, who defined soft power as "the ability to get what you want through attraction rather than coercion and payment." In contrast to hard power, soft power is a type of latent, hidden force. Because it is intangible, it can inspire people to make even better use of their talents. In this regard, the president cited a famous Chinese saying—"Better to be weak and pliant than strong and brittle"—and commented that the meaning of these words is related to the concept of soft power.
President Ma noted that he recently met with Chen Yu-min, a student from Taichung City Wu-chuan Junior High School and the winner of this year's Lions International Peace Poster Contest. He said he has also met with Tommy Chen, who won third place in an extreme marathon, Yani Tseng, two-time winner of the LPGA US Open golf tournament, Chang Hsu (better known as Cho U in Japanese), winner of the prestigious Kisei title in the game of Japanese Go, Lu Yen-Hsun, who this year made it to the quarterfinals of the Wimbledon tennis tournament, the students from Taiwan who took part in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair and finished with a higher percentage of winners than any other national contingent, the Taiwan team that won the 2010 World Golden Chef Competition, and Ms. Chen Shu-chu, who Time magazine, in recognition of her selflessness, included in its list of the 100 people who most affect our world. The president said that all of these individuals demonstrate that Taiwan's soft power cannot be overlooked, and that we are gaining more attention throughout the world.
President Ma remarked that in the future Taiwan should pursue soft power on four fronts. First is the establishment of brand name products, which will make MIT—Made in Taiwan—a symbol of quality and good taste. Second is the development of the Six Emerging Industries—biotechnology, tourism, medicine & health care, high-end agriculture, cultural & creative industries, and green energy—which will be important for Taiwan in its effort to create a global presence. Third is the development of the service sector. Fourth is encouraging non-profit entities to head to mainland China and set up operations there. Most of Taiwan's non-profits tend to be religiously affiliated and are very actively engaged with society. They engage in volunteer work, take advantage of corporate-style management methods, and are very internationalized. In all of these ways, they embody a Chinese culture with Taiwan characteristics. Lastly, the president said that enterprises are well advised to play an important role in non-profits, as this will improve their image while promoting social stability and harmony.
President Ma commented that as Taiwan and mainland China improve relations, Taiwan is also finding more room to maneuver in the international community. For instance, he pointed to Taiwan's participation in the World Health Assembly after an absence of 38 years, as well as Taiwan becoming a party to the Government Procurement Agreement after being denied for six years. The president also stated that Taiwan's role on the international stage is now that of a peacemaker, a provider of humanitarian aid, a promoter of cultural ties, and a creator of new technologies and business opportunities. These initiatives not only represent soft power, but also win us respect and constitute a force that stirs people's hearts. Taiwan should continue to make efforts along these lines in the future, so it can act as a coordinator of resources in the world's ethnic Chinese community, he said.