President Ma Ying-jeou attended the 2011 Hsieh Nien Fan banquet held by the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei (AmCham) on the evening of March 9. In remarks delivered there, the president acknowledged that Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) negotiations between Taiwan and the United States were temporarily halted by the beef issue, but added that Premier Wu Den-yih has appointed a minister without portfolio to lead an inter-ministerial task force to handle the matter, so hopefully the two sides can come up with a solution soon. He also expressed the hope that the United States will sell Taiwan defensive arms as soon as possible, so as to help maintain regional peace and stability.
President Ma praised AmCham Taipei for the important contributions it has made over the years to Taiwan-US relations, and wished AmCham a "happy birthday" on the occasion of its 60th anniversary. The president noted that this year is the centenary of the Republic of China, and despite the many hardships it faced in the early years of the republic, it has gone on to achieve outstanding success in land reform, economic development, universal education, political democratization, and peaceful development of cross-strait relations. In the coming century, the government is confident it will succeed in acting on the international stage as a peacemaker, a provider of humanitarian aid, a promoter of cultural exchange, a creator of new technologies and business opportunities, and a standard-bearer of Chinese culture.
Commenting on Taiwan's role as a peacemaker, the president emphasized the fact that Taiwan has changed from a potential flashpoint into a boulevard of peace and prosperity, with 370 commercial flights a week across the Taiwan Strait and annual cross-strait trade in excess of US$150 billion. However, in the face of a rapidly widening military imbalance across the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan would never want to become "the weakest link" in the Asia-Pacific security network. Instead, he said, we want to be a "cornerstone" of regional peace and stability. Toward that end, Taiwan wishes to procure defensive arms that will bolster its defense capabilities and ensure peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Asia-Pacific region.
President Ma further remarked that Taiwan was once the beneficiary of American aid, but today it is Taiwan that extends a helping hand to other countries in need. Taiwan has dispatched technical and medical missions to countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and following major natural disasters quickly sent rescue and relief missions to Haiti, Guatemala, and New Zealand. In the future, the government will continue to offer humanitarian aid to countries in need.
Next, the president voiced the view that Taiwan not only preserves Chinese culture, but is also carrying it to new heights, which means that Taiwan is a promoter of cultural exchange. Education in Taiwan not just seeks to impart professional knowledge, but also emphasizes the importance of innovation and independent thought. And Taiwan also has an advantage in the teaching of Chinese as a second language, the president explained, because in Taiwan we teach orthodox Chinese characters, and are also able to teach simplified versions. In the meantime, some 39,000 foreign students are enrolled in Taiwan's universities, and the government hopes to attract 160,000 foreign students by 2020 so that the nation can develop as a center of higher education in the Asia-Pacific region.
President Ma recalled that US President Obama in his State of the Union Address earlier this year reaffirmed that the US government would invest in biomedical research, information technology, and especially clean energy, which dovetails quite nicely with the six "flagship" industries and four "smart" industries that the Taiwan government has targeted for development. Moving forward, the government will continue working to bolster R&D, encourage innovation, protect intellectual property rights, and build up Taiwan as a global center of innovation. Meanwhile, the successful conclusion of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) with mainland China not only helps cross-strait trade and investment but also attracts more foreign investment and affords Taiwan a more important position in the international economy. ECFA talks have now entered into a second round focusing on trade in goods and services, an investment protection agreement, and a dispute settlement agreement. The government is also negotiating with Singapore and other countries on similar agreements in an effort to make Taiwan a creator of new technologies and business opportunities.
And finally, President Ma reiterated that the government intends to build up Taiwan as a standard-bearer of Chinese culture. Taiwan has at least 10 internationally-renowned arts troupes which have impressed the whole world with their exquisite performances. Their brilliant work beautifully illustrates what we mean, said the president, when speaking of "a Chinese culture with Taiwanese characteristics." He also expressed confidence that when the first "Taiwan Academy" opens in Los Angeles, it will provide a platform for further cultural exchange, thereby contributing to better mutual understanding.
Following the conclusion of this speech, President Ma joined with AIT Taipei Office Director William A. Stanton and AmCham Chairman Bill Wiseman in raising a toast to commemorate 60 years of partnership between Taiwan and the United States, and to call for further development of bilateral cooperation so that the two sides can create more miracles in the future.