President Ma Ying-jeou attended a ceremony on the morning of September 12 to mark the establishment of the Chen-Fu and Cecilia Yen Koo Chair in Taiwan Studies, and the inauguration of the US-Taiwan Policy Forum, a joint project organized by the Taipei Forum Foundation and the US-based Brookings Institution. In addition to recognizing the contributions of Mr. Koo Chen-Fu (辜振甫) and Mrs. Koo in promoting peaceful relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait and assisting the government in expanding its international relations, the president also said he hopes the influence of the chair and the forum will lead to further expansion of Taiwan-US ties in the economic and trade spheres as well as other areas. He added that he would like to see these organizations foster even broader cooperation between the private sectors of the two countries.
In remarks, the president stated that the launch of the Chen-Fu and Cecilia Yen Koo Chair in Taiwan Studies and the US-Taiwan Policy Forum will effectively promote related interdisciplinary research, and will also contribute importantly to enhanced bilateral ties. President Ma said that in recent years, the number of Taiwanese students studying in the United States has fallen sharply, which has diminished Taiwan's impact in the academic community there. The president said he hopes that the chair and the forum will help to spark research by Taiwanese on Taiwan-US relations and public policy, thereby helping to maintain Taiwan's influence in related academic fields.
President Ma said that National Women's League of the ROC Chairman Cecilia Yen Koo (辜嚴倬雲) and her beloved husband, Mr. Koo Chen-Fu had a deep affection for each other and a longstanding commitment to social welfare, education, and charitable activities and organizations in Taiwan. They also actively helped the government promote a new era of reconciliation between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, as well as an expansion of Taiwan's relations with the US and Japan, he said. The president emphasized that the couple has made enormous contributions to the survival and development of Taiwan.
President Ma mentioned that Mrs. Cecilia Yen Koo has long devoted herself to international women's affairs, and has successfully promoted people-to-people diplomacy and international cooperation in women's affairs. Thanks to her efforts, the Federation of Asia-Pacific Women's Associations (FAWA) has opted to hold its annual meetings in Taiwan on a number of occasions, he said. She also has twice served as the president of the FAWA, and recently was awarded the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon, one of the nation's highest honors, in recognition of her enthusiastic dedication to her causes, the president commented.
President Ma also expressed his appreciation to Mrs. Koo and Taiwan Cement Corporation Chairman Leslie Koo (辜成允) for deciding to donate a considerable sum to the Brookings Institution to establish the Chen-Fu and Cecilia Yen Koo Chair in Taiwan Studies, which he said will enhance the bilateral relationship between the ROC and the United States.
The president mentioned that former Vice President Vincent C. Siew (蕭萬長) will lead a delegation of business leaders from Taiwan on a visit in November of this year to the United States to identify possible investment opportunities. He said he hopes the visit will help to facilitate the signing of a bilateral investment agreement between the two countries.
President Ma noted that Director Richard Bush of the Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies (CNAPS) at Brookings will be the first holder of the Chair in Taiwan Studies, and said that Mr. Bush is the perfect person for this position. He also expressed confidence that Mr. Bush will work together with Chairman Chi Su (蘇起) of the Taipei Forum Foundation to create a bridge for communications in Taiwan-US policy research. President Ma remarked that this will certainly help to effectively boost the quality and impact of related research.
The president emphasized that relations between Taiwan and the United States are presently the best they have been since the two sides severed diplomatic relations in 1979. He pointed out that the United States has declared Taiwan an important security and economic partner of the United States, and the American government has formally included Taiwan in its Visa Waiver Program. Nonetheless, the president said, room still exists for a strengthening of trade, academic, and cultural ties, which is why the power of the private sector must be tapped into. President Ma called upon the government and people of Taiwan to work together to bring about a qualitative and quantitative upgrade in bilateral ties, both in the public and private spheres.
Among those attending the event were Senior Advisors to the President Ding Mou-Shih (丁懋時) and Hu Wei-jen (胡為真), National Security Council Secretary-General Jason C. Yuan (袁健生), Minister of Foreign Affairs David Y. L. Lin (林永樂), Deputy Director Brent Christensen of the Taipei Office of the American Institute in Taiwan, Taipei Forum Foundation Founder Chen Chien-jen (程建人) and Chairman Su, Director Bush of the CNAPS at Brookings, National Women's League of the ROC Chairman Cecilia Yen Koo and Taiwan Cement Corporation Chairman Leslie Koo.