President Ma Ying-jeou met on the morning of March 27 with New Zealand Commerce and Industry Office in Taipei Director Stephen Payton. During discussions, the president stated that each country has carried out its own study on the feasibility of a Taiwan-New Zealand economic cooperation agreement, and the two sides have also completed a joint feasibility study on the matter, which paves the way for a quick commencement of substantive negotiations. He said he hopes that an agreement can be inked as soon as possible, adding that this would bolster economic and trade relations.
In remarks, the president stated that Taiwan is New Zealand's 11th largest trading partner, and bilateral trade in 2010 stood at NZ$1.5 billion (approximately US$1.2 billion). In an effort to further promote economic and trade ties, Taiwan and New Zealand on October 25 last year announced that they would commence consultations to explore the feasibility of signing a bilateral economic cooperation accord, and now that the feasibility studies have been concluded, substantive negotiations can begin soon. Meanwhile, the Arrangement to Establish Strategic Cooperation on Joint Investment in Venture Capital Funds between Taiwan and New Zealand was completed and signed in early March of this year. As New Zealand is situated in the Southern Hemisphere, and it has many products that are complementary to those of Taiwan, the president said he hopes that in the future the two will continue to strengthen economic and trade dealings.
President Ma furthermore stated that Taiwan and New Zealand maintain close interaction in the area of tourism. New Zealand began granting Taiwanese visa-free courtesies on November 30, 2009, and Taiwanese made a total of 21,292 visits to that nation in 2010, up by 25.7%, or over 4,300 visits, from the previous year. In addition, in the wake of the signing of a working holiday agreement between Taiwan and New Zealand, each year 600 individuals can apply to engage in working holidays. This has become quite popular among young people, the president said, adding that people-to-people interaction between the two sides has become quite close.
The president also shared with Director Payton his experience in visiting New Zealand, saying that the beautiful scenery and hospitable people left a wonderful impression on him. He expressed his hopes that Taiwan and New Zealand can continue their cooperation in terms of trade and economic relations, as well as with international assistance projects to nations in the South Pacific.
New Zealand Commerce and Industry Office in Taipei Director Payton, Deputy Director Felicity Bloor, and New Zealand Trade Development Centre Director Liam Corkery visited the Presidential Office to meet President Ma. Also attending the meeting were National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General John C.C. Deng (鄧振中) and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ssu-Tsun Shen (沈斯淳).