President Ma Ying-jeou and Mrs. Ma, who are leading a delegation from the ROC to attend the installation of Pope Francis, arrived at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci international airport at 8 a.m. on March 18 Italy time. The president was welcomed by a representative of the Vatican's protocol office. Shortly after arrival, the president and his delegation then went to the hotel where they will be staying during their stay.
In the afternoon, President Ma was accompanied by National Security Council Secretary-General Jason C. Yuan (袁健生), Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Vanessa Yea-Ping Shih (史亞平), and the ROC Representative to Italy Lai Chien-Chung (賴建中) to inspect the Taipei Representative Office in Italy and express his appreciation to the staff there for all their efforts and hard work. In remarks, the president stated that relations between the ROC and the Vatican are becoming increasingly strong. Some American commentators have even opined that this trip highlights the success of the government's "viable diplomacy" policy over the past five years, he said. President Ma emphasized that adopting the "viable diplomacy" policy does not mean that we depend on others. Rather, it is our way of making sure that others do not ignore the existence of the ROC. He pointed out that Taiwan has "three lines of defense" -- institutionalization of cross-strait rapprochement, enhancing Taiwan's contributions to international development, and aligning of Taiwan's defense with diplomacy. He called on Taiwan's diplomatic officials not to let their guard down despite the warming of ties between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.
The president also mentioned that Taiwan's foreign affairs budget has seen reductions in the past few years. But in fact, he said, the ROC can do even more on the diplomatic front and generate even more successes now that it has eliminated unnecessary impediments.
Earlier in the day, President and Mrs. Ma, along with the rest of the delegation, visited the Vatican Museums, and were very impressed by what they saw there.
In the evening, President and Mrs. Ma were escorted by the ROC Ambassador to the Holy See Larry Yu-yuan Wang (王豫元) to attend a banquet at their hotel with ROC clergy and overseas compatriots who reside in Italy. In remarks, the president stated that diplomatic relations between the ROC and the Vatican have entered their 71st year. The two sides maintain close cooperation in the areas of religion, humanitarianism, charitable activities, and the alleviation of poverty, he said, adding that the two countries also share the universal values of freedom, democracy, human rights, rule of law, and peace. President Ma pointed out that the Vatican over the past five years has dispatched many cardinals to Taiwan to attend various activities. In addition, ROC nationals travel in great numbers to the Vatican, he noted, emphasizing that this indicates that the alliance between the two nations continues to move forward.
President Ma stated that he was extremely moved by the recent process of the new pope's election. He explained how on television he watched tens of thousands of devotees gather in St. Peter's Square, and how moved he was by the thunderous roar from the crowd when white smoke arose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. Moments later, the newly elected Pope Francis walked out onto the central balcony at St. Peter's Basilica to greet the crowd, which opened a new era at the Vatican, the president said.
Noting that Pope Francis is the first pope to come from Latin America and is also the first pope who is a Jesuit, President Ma described him as a low-key individual who is easily approachable and especially concerned about the poor. Pope Francis himself is very frugal and normally takes public transport to and from work, he said. He also works hard to alleviate poverty throughout the world, the president noted, continuing that the ROC has, through the Pontifical Council COR UNUM, provided residents of earthquake-stricken areas in Italy with humanitarian aid, and has also provided assistance to refugees from Syria and South Sudan. Aid, the president remarked, has also been extended to Mali, Niger, Mauritania, and Chad in projects to avoid desertification, as well as a community reconstruction project in Colombia. All of this shows the ROC's willingness to act as a provider of international humanitarian aid, he said. President Ma emphasized that the ROC and the Vatican have together promoted a number of international charitable activities, and that the two have long been important partners. He pointed out that the Vatican also extended a helping hand to Taiwan after the earthquake of September 21, 1999 as well as the flooding and landslides after Typhoon Morakot in 2009 that caused heavy damage to parts of southern and eastern Taiwan.
President Ma mentioned that the ROC not only maintains close economic and trade relations with European nations, but also has frequent interaction on the cultural, education, and arts fronts. In 2012, he said, the ROC and the Vatican signed the Agreement Between the Ministry of Education of the ROC and the Congregation for Catholic Education of the Holy See on Collaboration in the Field of Higher Education and on the Recognition of Studies, Qualifications, Diplomas and Degrees. This agreement took effect on December 14 of last year, he commented, opening a new era in bilateral cultural and educational ties.
The president furthermore remarked that in the course of his interaction with Catholicism, he has gotten a deep sense for the Catholic Church's contributions to the nation. He noted that in March of 2011 he attended an activity held by the Bethlehem Mission Society. During that event, he met many of the Catholic clergy who have provided service in Taiwan for decades, and from them learned that they were not eligible to receive the social services that are available to ROC nationals over the age of 65, so he had his administration adopt the Mackay Project, which enables these individuals to receive preferential pricing when taking public transport and visiting cultural facilities. The president said that this measure was taken to show respect and gratitude to these individuals for their contributions over the years.
President Ma stated that after taking office he adopted a new policy toward mainland China, and as a result Taiwan and mainland China have signed 18 agreements, effectively reducing tension in the Taiwan Strait. In addition, President Ma stressed, the ROC government has consistently sought, under the framework of the ROC Constitution, to maintain the status quo of "no unification, no independence, and no use of force" in the Taiwan Strait, and to promote the peaceful development of cross-strait ties under the "1992 Consensus," whereby each side acknowledges the existence of "one China" but maintains its own interpretation of what that means. The president noted that this policy fits in well with the message issued by the pope each year on the World Day of Peace. It was on the basis of this thinking, he said, that the ROC government last year proposed the East China Sea Peace Initiative to address the sovereignty dispute over the Diaoyutai Islets that has led to tension in the East China Sea. The president explained that this initiative was proposed as part of the ROC's intention to serve as a peacemaker, adding that he has strived to promote cross-strait peace since taking office.
Lastly, the president expressed hope that this trip will further strengthen relations between the ROC and the Vatican, and that cooperation between the two sides will move forward on a number of fronts.