President Ma Ying-jeou arrived back in Taiwan in the early morning hours of August 21, concluding his 11-day trip codenamed Project Congratulations and Friendship. The president delivered remarks at the airport upon his return, explaining the successes and accomplishments of his trip.
In remarks, the president stated he and his delegation safely touched back down in Taiwan after a nearly 53-hour trip that covered 42,000 kilometers, which brought Project Congratulations and Friendship to a successful conclusion. President Ma noted that this marked his eighth visit overseas since taking office in 2008. In addition to attending the inauguration of Paraguay's new president Horacio Manuel Cartes, he also visited the ROC's allies in the Caribbean, including Haiti, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and St. Christopher and Nevis. Furthermore, he made transit stops in New York on the outbound journey and Los Angeles on the return. President Ma said that this trip featured many substantive achievements.
The president stated that this trip solidified the formal alliances between the ROC and five allies in South America and the Caribbean, and enabled him to forge personal friendships with the leaders of these nations. In particular, he mentioned, this marked the first time that he had met the newly inaugurated President Cartes of Paraguay, St. Lucia Prime Minister Kenny Davis Anthony, and Haiti President Michel J. Martelly. President Ma noted that the official languages of Paraguay and Haiti are Spanish and French, respectively, but the presidents of the two countries had studied in the United States and speak fluent English, so he was able to converse freely with them, thereby promoting interaction and friendship, which he said was extremely important.
During the trip, President Ma stated, alliances were solidified through the signing of three joint communiqués, the inking of one extradition treaty, and the issuance of one joint statement. On a personal level, he noted, he was awarded an honorary doctorate degree from the Universidad Nacional de Asuncion in Paraguay. All of these events help strengthen the ROC's bilateral relationships with these nations, he said. The president added that the presidents or prime ministers from the five allied nations he visited all personally welcomed the delegation from the ROC at the airport.
President Ma mentioned that when he attended the inauguration ceremonies for Paraguay's President Cartes, the new head of state in remarks mentioned the ROC, eliciting strong applause and making a deep impression on him regarding the friendship of Paraguay towards the ROC. Meanwhile, he commented, when he delivered an address before the St. Lucian congress, he made a special point of quoting lyrics from that nation's national anthem that highlighted St. Lucia's love of peace, and explained that the ROC has embraced peaceful methods in handling disputes between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait and in relations between Taiwan and Japan to good result. The prime minister and members of the St. Lucia parliament then expressed support by tapping the tables in front of them, which the president also said made a deep impression on him.
President Ma again expressed the ROC's appreciation for the longstanding support that its allies have expressed in international venues and the strong support for meaningful participation for the ROC in the World Health Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The president then discussed the results of cooperation between the ROC and its diplomatic partners. He said that in the five years since he took office, the ROC's foreign aid policy has been guided by the principle of "seeking proper goals, acting lawfully, and exercising effective administration." This has enabled the ROC's allies to gradually understand that the ROC is an "above-board" nation, and not one that does things "casually." The president pointed out that many cooperation projects are being carried out between the ROC and the allies that he visited on this trip, and cover such fields as agriculture, medicine and health care, technology, infrastructure, education, and solar power. He said that he personally inspected many of the projects to see how successfully they have been implemented. For instance, he noted, Taiwan's Overseas Engineering & Construction Company is the contractor for the New Hope Village Project in Haiti and the reconstruction of that nation's Supreme Court Building, as well as the construction of Argyle International Airport in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Meanwhile, Speedtech Energy Co. Ltd. is currently constructing a solar power plant under a cooperative project being carried out in St. Christopher and Nevis, he said, while Motech Industries has provided solar panels that have been installed on the roof of a new laboratory in St. Lucia. The president stated that not only is the ROC using the latest technology to assist its allies, but also is forging business opportunities for Taiwanese enterprises, thereby creating a win-win situation.
The president also mentioned that Haiti three years ago suffered a devastating earthquake that damaged 50 government buildings, including the presidential palace. To this date, the repair of these structures has yet to be completed. President Ma said that President Martelly has prioritized the reconstruction of the Supreme Court Building with the hope of establishing Haiti as an "etat de droit" (i.e. "a state based on law"). President Ma stated that he was deeply touched by this stance. Moreover, he said, the ROC's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) is working together with private groups to provide vocational training in that nation and also to provide assistance and shelter to orphans. All of these initiatives have garnered the strong support of the local public, the president noted, adding that this highlights the role that the ROC can play in the international community as a provider of humanitarian aid.
President Ma then discussed the topic of so-called "transit diplomacy." He explained that he and his delegation originally intended to make transit stops in New York and Los Angeles. However, in light of the approach of Tropical Storm Trami to Taiwan, he said, he decided to return to Taiwan ahead of schedule by cutting back on his planned activities in Los Angeles. Nonetheless, President Ma remarked, he was able to speak with 12 important American officials and members of congress over the phone while he was in the United States, and to hold face-to-face meetings with four important senior political figures. The president said that he did not have time for some planned meetings and discussions with several important political figures and entrepreneurs, but he will continue to seek to contact them after his return to Taiwan in an effort to further enhance the bilateral relationship.
President Ma stated that while he had quite a tight schedule on this trip, the results exceeded his initial expectations. This trip not only increased the ROC's international visibility, but also enabled overseas compatriots to better understand the government's active efforts to promote its diplomatic agenda, the president said. He mentioned that he hosted banquets for overseas compatriots during his visits to New York, Los Angeles, and Paraguay, and a total of nearly 700 people attended those events, which he took advantage of to explain to the overseas compatriots the government's foreign affairs, cross-strait, and domestic policies. This allowed the overseas compatriots to better understand the ROC's domestic affairs and also helped to forge greater communication between the ROC government and these overseas compatriots, he commented.
The president then addressed the various challenges and difficulties overcome by the MOFA in arranging this trip. He praised the efforts of ministry staff as well as the staff of the ROC's embassies in each of the countries he visited. President Ma said that morale among the ROC's diplomatic community has improved considerably since the nation began promoting the policies of "viable diplomacy" and "above-board diplomacy," and he expressed his confidence that these initiatives have been instrumental in building morale and ensuring greater dignity for ROC diplomats, which will enable them to do even better work in the future.
Lastly, the president said, he and his delegation returned to Taiwan just as Tropical Storm Trami was bearing down. He noted that he decided to cut his overseas itinerary short and come back to Taiwan early to ensure that comprehensive preparations were being made ahead of the storm, adding that he wanted to be together with the people of Taiwan at this moment. The president also reminded government agencies to make sure that all measures are being taken ahead of the storm to ensure that the lives and property of the public are protected.
Among those at the airport to welcome President Ma on his arrival back in Taiwan were Secretary-General to the President Timothy Chin-Tien Yang (楊進添), National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General John C. C. Deng (鄧振中), Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ting Joseph Shih (石定), and Jacques Sawadogo, Burkina Faso Ambassador to the ROC and head of the foreign diplomatic corps in the ROC.