President Ma Ying-jeou on the afternoon of May 31 met with Lieutenant General Joaquín Virgilio Pérez Feliz , Secretary of State for the Armed Forces of the Dominican Republic. The president, on behalf of the government and people of the ROC, expressed a warm welcome to Secretary Pérez on his visit to Taiwan.
The president remarked that the Dominican Republic is one of the most important nations in the Caribbean which, besides featuring a developed economy, is home to a warm and enthusiastic people. Dominican Republic President Leonel Antonio Fernández Reyna is an extremely capable political leader with a bold vision, President Ma said, adding that President Fernández demonstrated his leadership after the earthquake that struck Haiti last year, winning him the respect and trust of the Haitian people. President Ma remarked that in past discussions with President Fernández the two exchanged opinions on Taiwan's establishment of science parks and industrial zones, which he said left a deep impression on him.
President Ma stated that Secretary Pérez is an extremely talented and highly educated man who is well regarded by his subordinates and maintains close cooperation and interaction with Taiwan's military. The ROC dispatched a C130 aircraft to deliver medical relief and personnel to Haiti after the devastating earthquake there. Since the aircraft was unable to land in Haiti, Secretary Pérez, who at that time was the commander of his nation's army, arranged for the plane to land in the Dominican Republic. The goods were then transported overland to Haiti. Secretary Pérez, he said, aided in the arrangements throughout the entire process, for which the president expressed his deepest gratitude.
President Ma commented that Haiti recently inaugurated a new president and that he specially dispatched Vice Premier Sean C. Chen (陳冲) to attend the event as his envoy. Upon returning to Taiwan, Vice Premier Chen told him that Haiti still requires assistance from the Dominican Republic on many fronts. The ROC, he said, has established a relief and assistance team in Haiti, which provides vocational training and assistance in public health. The ROC also continues to donate permanent housing and is adopting orphans, the president stated, expressing his hope that the two countries will continue their cooperation. He also affirmed that the ROC will help the Dominican Republic's neighbor return to normality as soon as possible.
Secretary Pérez was accompanied to the Presidential Office in the afternoon by Minister of National Defense Kao Hua-chu (高華柱), Chief of the General Staff General Lin Jan-Yi (林鎮夷), and Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Intelligence Shen Yiming (沈一鳴) to meet President Ma. Also attending the meeting was National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Ko Kuang-yueh (葛光越).