President Ma Ying-jeou, who is leading a delegation from the ROC on a trip to South America and the Caribbean on a journey codenamed Project Congratulations and Friendship, arrived in the Republic of Haiti at 10:00 a.m. on August 13 local time (10:00 p.m. on August 13 Taipei time) after a flight of over three hours from New York City.
After the president's chartered aircraft came to a halt, ROC Ambassador to Haiti Liu Bang-Zyh (劉邦治) and Chief of Protocol Yves Mazile of Haiti's National Palace boarded the plane to welcome the president. Haitian President Michel J. Martelly and Prime Minister Laurent S. Lamothe stood next to the plane to welcome President Ma upon his disembarkation. President Ma was welcomed with military honors, indicating the importance that Haiti places on this visit.
After the ceremonies at the airport came to a conclusion, President Ma's motorcade headed to Haiti's National Palace, where President Ma and President Martelly held bilateral discussions. Upon the conclusion of that meeting, the two heads of state held a joint press conference, with each explaining the contents of the discussions and issues related to bilateral cooperation.
In remarks, President Ma stated that diplomatic relations between the ROC and Haiti date back 57 years, and that bilateral cooperation has yielded considerable achievements in the areas of agriculture, vocational training, health care, and education. He added that this marks his first visit to Haiti and the first visit by an ROC president in the 57 years of the diplomatic alliance, marking a milestone in the relations between the two.
President Ma commented that when Haiti experienced its worst earthquake ever in January 2010, a rescue team from the ROC departed for Haiti just 12 hours after the disaster struck. Working together with counterparts from other countries, the ROC rescue team helped to rescue seven survivors from the rubble, he said. President Ma remarked that at the end of that same January, he traveled to the Republic of Honduras to attend the inauguration ceremonies for President Porfirio Lobo Sosa. Upon his departure from Honduras, President Ma then made a stop in the Dominican Republic to hold a joint meeting with Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernandez and former Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive to discuss reconstruction in Haiti. President Ma said that while he was on his way back to Taiwan, he convened a meeting of ROC officials to draw up four projects to assist Haiti, including the settlement of displaced persons, public health, vocational training, and care of orphans. With respect to the settlement of disaster victims, the president said, the ROC has already built 200 permanent dwellings and 500 temporary structures, while the other reconstruction projects are still ongoing. He also said that the ROC's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has created a special task force to organize and carry out these initiatives. Furthermore, the president noted, during his discussions with President Martelly, his counterpart mentioned that Haiti is in the process of developing a tourism zone and hopes that Taiwan companies will participate in the project. President Ma said he has instructed related agencies in the ROC to provide assistance in this respect.
Lastly, President Ma expressed appreciation to Haiti and its diplomatic officers for speaking on behalf of the ROC in various international venues. The president also stressed that President Martelly has already pledged to visit the ROC in the future when he has an opportunity to do so. President Ma further expressed hope that reciprocal visits of this nature by the two leaders will help to promote friendship and cooperation between the two nations.
Upon the completion of the remarks by the leaders, President Ma was escorted by President Martelly to a site near the National Palace where Haiti's Supreme Court Building will be rebuilt. The two presidents presided over a groundbreaking ceremony there.
President Ma also delivered remarks at that ceremony, pointing out that he was invited by President Martelly to attend the groundbreaking ceremony. President Ma said he was deeply honored to take part in this ceremony, as it highlights the strong bond of friendship between the ROC and Haiti, as well as the respect for the rule of law and democracy.
The president commented that in taking part in Haiti's reconstruction, the ROC has respected the priorities set forth by that nation's president at the time of the quake as well as those of his successor. In less than a two-year period, he said, the governments of the two countries have set in motion six major infrastructure projects and agricultural cooperation projects.
The president also said he is deeply touched that President Martelly is making the reconstruction of the Supreme Court Building such a priority. He pointed out that after taking office, President Martelly laid out his five administrative priorities, including education, employment, environmental protection, rule of law, and energy. President Ma said that the ROC is a democratic nation that emphasizes the rule of law. In addition, he himself previously served as Minister of Justice, and consequently he is pleased to see that Haiti also places heavy emphasis on "etat de droit" (i.e. "a state based on law"). President Ma remarked that in governing a nation, a leader cannot solely focus on tangibles while ignoring the intangibles. The public must have ample food to eat, clothes to wear, and homes in which to live, to be sure. But it must also maintain the rule of law to ensure the normal functioning of society.
President Ma emphasized that he is the first president of the ROC to visit Haiti in the 57 years since the two nations cemented diplomatic relations, which makes this visit to Haiti all the more meaningful. Lastly, the president expressed, both in Chinese and in French, three hopes. He said he hopes that the alliance between the two countries will become even closer, that the cooperative relationship between the two countries will help both countries achieve their common dreams, and that justice will nourish democracy in both nations. The president's remarks were enthusiastically received by the crowd, which applauded him.
Among those attending the groundbreaking ceremonies were Haitian Prime Minister Lamothe, Chamber of Deputies President Jean Tholbert Alexis, Supreme Court President Anel Alexis Josephy, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pierre-Richard Casimir, while individuals from the ROC included National Security Council Secretary-General Jason C. Yuan (袁健生), Minister of Foreign Affairs David Y. L. Lin (林永樂), Ambassador Liu, and ROC legislators Lai Shyh-Bao (賴士葆), Liao Cheng-Ching (廖正井), Ma Wen-Chun (馬文君), and Chen Shu-Huey (陳淑慧).
After the completion of the groundbreaking ceremonies, President Ma and his delegation were invited to a luncheon with President Martelly. Everyone attending the event engaged in cordial discussions, which capped a successful conclusion to President Ma's first visit to Haiti. The delegation then returned to the airport to board their chartered aircraft that left Haiti at 4:00 p.m. local time. This marked an end to the six-hour stay in Haiti and the beginning of the next leg of the president's journey, which will take him to Paraguay.