President Ma Ying-jeou met with a delegation from the Committee of 100, an organization of American citizens of Chinese descent, at the Presidential Office on the afternoon of October 20. The president stressed during the meeting that cross-strait relations have improved, the Taiwan-US relationship is steadily strengthening, and Taiwan will make every effort to be a peacemaker and win more breathing room for itself in the international community.
President Ma applauded the ethnic Chinese leaders for forming the Committee of 100 and for their longstanding interest in the development of relations between Taiwan, mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau. The group has been quite effective in enhancing awareness and understanding of the ethnic Chinese community in the United States, he said.
The president commented that he has strived to improve relations with mainland China, the United States, and other nations since taking office, mainly in order to establish a peaceful and stable environment here for Taiwan and reduce the number of obstacles it must face. Over the past two-plus years, the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have signed 14 agreements covering, among other matters: direct postal, transportation, and trade links; food safety; product testing and certification; mutual judicial assistance; financial supervisory cooperation; and law enforcement cooperation. This has helped to make up for time lost during the eight years of the previous administration, and has enabled Taiwan to catch up with the pace of change in Asia and the rest of the world. President Ma noted that the world has generally welcomed the warming of cross-strait relations.
The president said that in the wake of improved cross-strait ties, relations between Taiwan and the US have also progressed significantly. The United States no longer needs to choose sides between Taiwan and mainland China, and the same goes for Japan, the European Union, New Zealand, and Australia. The president expressed his hope that Taiwan will have greater breathing room internationally so that it can serve as a peacemaker.
In discussing the Taiwan-US relationship, President Ma pointed to a continued improvement in ties. He cited the decision by the American government to sell defensive arms to Taiwan, which will increase Taiwan's ability to ensure its safety. The president added that both sides are currently discussing the possible inclusion of Taiwan in the US visa waiver program, and are also working out an extradition agreement. He also said that talks on a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement are poised to resume before the end of this year, which would benefit bilateral trade and investment. President Ma mentioned that since taking office he has made 10 transit stops in the United States and has contacted many of Taiwan's friends in America in order to boost Taiwan's visibility and prevent it from being isolated, he said.
The president also stated that 280,000 jobs were created here in the yearlong period starting in August of last year, reducing unemployment by one percentage point. Taiwan's GDP growth was 13.1% in the first half of this year, and other indicators also point to a gradual improvement in the economy. As the economy strengthens, the government will do all it can to care for the underprivileged to ensure that the fruits of economic growth are enjoyed by all citizens, he said.
Prof. David D. Ho led the delegation from the Committee of 100 to the Presidential Office in the afternoon to meet President Ma. Also attending the meeting was National Security Council Advisor Chung Chien.