President Ma Ying-jeou met on the afternoon of April 7 with a visiting delegation from the US Republican National Committee. The president expressed his gratitude to the party for its longstanding efforts and contributions in promoting friendly relations between the ROC and the United States.
The president noted that Article 1 of the ROC Constitution states: "The Republic of China, founded on the Three Principles of the People, shall be a democratic republic of the people, to be governed by the people and for the people." These principles were first put forward during the Civil War (1861-1865) in the Gettysburg Address delivered in 1863 by American President Abraham Lincoln, who was a member of the Republican Party.
President Ma remarked that after he won the presidency in May 2008, then US President George W. Bush sent him a message commending Taiwan as "a beacon of democracy to Asia and the world." This statement exhibited the friendship of President Bush and his recognition of the ROC's achievements, he noted. Subsequently, when President Bush and mainland Chinese leader Hu Jintao held a phone conversation, Mr. Hu mentioned that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait both accept the "one China" principle, but that each side has a different interpretation of the definition of China. President Ma said he feels that the so-called 1992 Consensus that emphasizes "one China, respective interpretations" constitutes an important foundation for strengthened cross-strait relations. The president also stressed that shortly after he took office, President Bush notified the US Congress that the government had agreed to sell Taiwan US$6.5 billion worth of defensive weapons. This enabled the ROC to update its arsenal and to have greater resources, for which he expressed his appreciation.
The president stated that he has taken bold action since assuming the presidency to improve cross-strait ties, and this has brought incipient signs of peace in the Taiwan Strait. At present, 370 flights ply routes between the two sides each week, and bilateral trade last year exceeded US$150 billion. These developments are in sharp contrast to the Korean Peninsula, which is still under the threat of war, he said. With regard to Taiwan-US ties, the president noted that trust has been established at the highest levels. He also called for the ROC's inclusion in the US Visa-Waiver Program, and the signing of a bilateral extradition agreement. The ROC furthermore hopes the United States will sell F16 C/D series fighter jets to Taiwan to replace its aging fleet and maintain Taiwan's air power.
President Ma noted that significant strides have been made in the past year in obtaining visa-free courtesies for ROC nationals. A total of 113 nations and areas now provide ROC citizens with either visa-free courtesies or landing visas, including the recent addition of the European Union and the overseas territories of France. This is more than double the 53 countries that provided these courtesies when he took office, and accounts for 96% of the destinations commonly visited by ROC citizens. It is an extremely important development for the people of Taiwan, he said, adding that over 300,000 Taiwanese visit the United States each year and that we strongly hope that the United States will include Taiwan in its Visa-Waiver Program.
The guests were accompanied to the Presidential Office in the morning by Deputy Foreign Minister Lyushun Shen to meet President Ma. Also attending the meeting was National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Chih-kung Liu.