President Ma Ying-jeou visited the Taipei Guest House over the noon hour on March 11 to attend a preview reception of “A Century of Resilient Tradition: Exhibition of the Republic of China’s Diplomatic Archives” held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. President Ma praised the ROC diplomats for embracing the spirit of "struggling our way to a new path forward."
The president also took advantage of the opportunity to announce that the European nation of Montenegro has decided to grant ROC nationals visa-free courtesies, while Australia has pledged to begin allowing ROC passport holders to apply for the ETA visa (Australia's electronic visa) under the same conditions accorded to travelers from other advanced nations. This brings to 99 the number of nations and territories granting visa-free entry or landing visa courtesies to ROC passport holders. The president also expressed confidence that the number will reach 100 during the nation's centennial year.
President Ma noted that the United States and the United Kingdom relinquished extraterritorial rights in the Republic of China under treaties signed with the ROC in 1943, ending 100 years of being shackled by unequal treaties. After victory in the war against Japan in 1945, the ROC became a permanent member of the United Nations' Security Council, significantly enhancing its international status. After mainland China fell to the communists in the civil war and the government relocated to Taiwan in 1949, the ROC faced increasing diplomatic isolation, leading to countless challenges and difficulties. Despite this, we were still able in 1952 to obtain the passage of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 505, which censured the Soviet Union for aiding the communists in the Chinese civil war. In addition, the ROC signed a peace accord with Japan in 1952 and a joint defense treaty with the United States in 1954, thus stabilizing national defense and diplomatic ties. In the 1970s, however, the ROC lost its representation in the UN and diplomatic relations between the ROC and the United States were severed. The ROC's diplomatic allies dropped to under 30, and the nation's diplomatic status fell into another crisis, the president said. Nonetheless, the ROC's diplomats continued to embrace the spirit of "struggling our way to a new path forward" and re-established the ROC's influence in many places. Besides its 23 embassies around the world, the ROC has also established 91 representative offices in 66 countries, enabling continued development of the ROC's trade, economic, and cultural ties.
With regard to the move by the Philippines to deport ROC nationals suspected of fraud to mainland China, President Ma praised Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff for their efforts over the past month-plus period. The president said that the Philippines has issued formal documents and punished officials for dereliction of duty in relation to this case, demonstrating the regret and sincerity of the Philippines. In addition, the Philippines is also prepared to sign a mutual judicial assistance agreement with the ROC for joint law enforcement activities, so as to prevent similar situations from recurring. Relations between Taiwan and the Philippines have not taken a setback; to the contrary, they have been patched up and strengthened in a perfect illustration of the importance of "flexible diplomacy."
President Ma stated that this exhibit includes over 2,700 treaties and agreements, 600 boundary maps, and 300,000 documents. Meanwhile, in an effort to promote cultural exchange, the government has provided 70 "Taiwan Fellowships" to encourage researchers from throughout the world to come and engage in research here. In the future, these historical data, after being digitized, will become an important asset of Taiwan Academies that are established overseas, he said.
President Ma remarked that some have assumed that "a weak state has few diplomatic ties." However, in the face of unprecedented diplomatic challenges, the ROC has taken active advantage of its soft power and smart power to win respect and admiration, thus helping the ROC to find a new and broader path to a better future. He said he expects that the efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the nation's diplomats stationed overseas will enable the ROC to proudly engage with the world, while the world for its part will be delighted to be more engaged with the ROC.
After the completion of these remarks, President Ma, Vice President Vincent C. Siew, Premier Wu Den-yih, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Chin-tien Yang cut a cake together with previous ministers of foreign affairs to celebrate the anniversary of the founding of the ministry. The group also examined valuable historical documents, including the Treaty of Nanking (signed in 1842 between the Qing Dynasty government and the UK), the Burlingame Treaty (signed in 1868 between the Qing Dynasty government and the US), and the Boxer Protocol (signed in 1901 between the Qing Dynasty government and 11 countries).