President Ma Ying-jeou met with United States Congressman Gregg Harper and Mrs. Harper at the Presidential Office on the morning of November 11. The president, on behalf of the government and people of the ROC, extended a warm welcome to Representative Harper and his delegation.
President Ma congratulated Congressman Harper on his re-election in the November 2 mid-term elections, and expressed appreciation for the congressman making a visit to Taiwan so soon after the polls. President Ma stated that the House of Representatives has traditionally been very friendly to Taiwan and passed various resolutions in our support, including measures recognizing the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Taiwan Relations Act, expressing condolences to Taiwan after the disaster brought about by Typhoon Morakot, and supporting Taiwan's participation in the World Health Assembly and the International Civil Aviation Organization. The president said the people of the ROC will always remember these gestures.
President Ma remarked that he has made every effort since taking office to restore mutual trust between Taiwan and the United States at the highest levels, while also working to improve relations with mainland China. The president pointed out that Taiwan and mainland China have signed 14 agreements over the past two and a half years, and bilateral trade relations are particularly benefiting from the cross-strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement. The improvement in ties between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait has been welcomed by East Asian nations and the world community at large, he said.
President Ma commented that Taiwan is working to build its image as a peacemaker and is also actively participating in international affairs. He noted remarks made by a number of American scholars that the trilateral relationship involving Taiwan, the United States, and mainland China is now the best it has been in the past 60 years.
In addressing the state of Taiwan-US relations, the president said that the two sides will engage in negotiations on a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement at the end of this year. President Ma conveyed his hopes that the United States will sell Taiwan F-16 C/D series jet fighters in the future, will sign a bilateral extradition agreement, and will include Taiwan in the US visa-waiver program. He also said he hopes the United States will continue to express support for Taiwan's participation in the International Civil Aviation Organization and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, thereby enabling Taiwan to play an even more meaningful role in the international community.
The delegation led by Congressman and Mrs. Harper included Congressman and Mrs. Leonard Lance, Congressman and Mrs. Blaine Luetkemeyer, and Congressman and Mrs. Glenn Thompson. The group was accompanied to the Presidential Office in the morning by Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ssu-Tsun Shen to meet President Ma. Also attending the meeting was National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Chih-kung Liu.