On the afternoon of November 28, President Ma Ying-jeou and Vice President Wu Den-yih held a reception at the Presidential Office with the presidents, vice presidents, and secretaries-general of the five Yuan (i.e. the five branches of ROC government). The president exchanged opinions with them on a broad range of issues, including food safety, the state of the ROC's foreign relations, regional economic integration, judicial reform, and pension reform.
In remarks, President Ma first discussed economic issues. He said that the global economy is facing considerable challenges. Taiwan's exports, through rising modestly, remain insufficient, and production and consumption are both less than ideal, so the government should quickly promote infrastructure and development projects to enhance economic prosperity and boost the wellbeing of the public.
Regarding a recent spate of food safety issues that have created public unease and affected the government's credibility, the president called on the Executive Yuan and its subordinate agencies to take strong action to make sure such problems will not recur. The president stated that the government must assign top priority to food safety, consider the viewpoint of the public, actively examine the framework currently in place, and institute reforms and other safety measures. He also pointed out that a list of foods in compliance and not in compliance with food safety regulations should be posted on a specified website as soon as new information becomes available to put the public more at ease.
President Ma then discussed the recent severing of diplomatic relations between The Gambia and the ROC. He stated that on November 18 the ROC formally announced the break in diplomatic ties with The Gambia. He said it was a special case, noting that high-ranking officials of both countries had been making frequent visits to the other, that cooperation projects were being implemented smoothly and with considerable success, and that mainland China had not intervened in the situation. President Ma stated that Gambian President Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh suddenly announced his decision to sever diplomatic relations with the ROC due to what were described as national strategic interests. The president said the ROC's Ministry of Foreign Affairs needs to thoroughly review what happened and implement more effective measures to avoid a similar event from happening again. The ministry should also stress the considerable benefits of the "viable diplomacy" policy pursued by the government over the past five years. These achievements include enhancing substantive ties between the ROC and nations that do not maintain formal diplomatic relations with us, as well as a significant increase in the number of jurisdictions that provide visa-free courtesies or landing visas to ROC nationals, he said. President Ma acknowledged the difficult situation facing the ROC diplomatically and said that government agencies should continue to handle this situation with prudence.
As for the topic of regional economic integration, President Ma explained to the guests that in June 2010 Taiwan and mainland China signed the Cross-Straits Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA). Subsequently, Taiwan and Japan signed the Taiwan-Japan Bilateral Investment Arrangement in September 2011. This past March, he pointed out, Taiwan and the United States resumed negotiations under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement. In addition, on July 10 of this year Taiwan and New Zealand signed the Agreement between New Zealand and the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu on Economic Cooperation (ANZTEC). On November 5, Taiwan signed five cooperative agreements with Japan, including the Taiwan-Japan Arrangement for Mutual Cooperation on Electronic Commerce. President Ma said that all of these developments prove the effectiveness of the ECFA as a building block that has encouraged other nations to negotiate economic cooperation agreements with Taiwan. He added that such pacts by their nature function much like free trade agreements.
President Ma further stated that on November 7 Taiwan and Singapore signed the Agreement between Singapore and the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu on Economic Partnership (ASTEP). Singapore is Taiwan's fifth largest trading partner, and the ASTEP is the first economic cooperation agreement that Taiwan has signed with a Southeast Asian nation, he said. The president remarked that the negotiations proceeded in accordance with World Trade Organization regulations, and the signing of this agreement was an extremely significant event that attracted close scrutiny in the international media. President Ma said this highlights Taiwan's confidence and determination to participate in regional economic integration, and creates better conditions for Taiwan's eventual admission to the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. He remarked that the government will continue to pursue this "building block" approach in negotiating and signing economic and trade agreements with the ROC's major trading partners, thereby boosting the pace and scope of Taiwan's participation in regional economic integration.
President Ma mentioned that in June of this year, the two sides of the Taiwan Strait signed the Cross-Strait Trade in Services Agreement. He said that foreign companies operating in Taiwan and neighboring nations are closely watching whether the ROC government has the good-faith intent to actually implement this agreement. He mentioned that once this agreement is ratified, the two sides will move on to negotiate an agreement on trade in goods, so the president called on the Legislative Yuan to expedite deliberation on the Trade in Services Agreement, noting that this would hasten the progress of the nation's trade liberalization.
President Ma likened the Executive Yuan and the Legislative Yuan to the two wheels of a bicycle, saying that it is critically important that the two work well together if the government is to operate effectively. In this regard, the president thanked the legislative branch for providing the executive branch with necessary oversight and for helping the executive branch pursue its policy objectives.
As for judicial reform, President Ma stated, a good judicial system is an important indicator of a modern nation ruled by law, and the final bulwark of social justice. It is public confidence in a judicial system that confers value upon the existence of that system, he remarked, adding that the Judicial Yuan should uphold the principle that "the judiciary is there for the people's sake, "and should also continue promoting "participatory reform of the judicial system." President Ma said that studies have been carried out on the establishment of a lay judge system, improvements in the personnel system for judges, enforcement of judicial ethics, and ways to boost quality and efficiency in the rendering of court decisions. Reforms in these areas are underway and substantive results have been achieved, said the president, who called for continued efforts to impress upon the public that reforms are indeed happening. This, he said, will ultimately generate greater public confidence in the judicial system.
Regarding the civil service pension system, President Ma stated, the government has always placed great importance on the interests and wellbeing of civil servants. The Examination Yuan, he said, has been working hard to improve the examination system, make better use of the government's human resources, and enhance civil service training programs. At the same time, he noted, active efforts are being made to reform the pension system. A draft bill on civil service pension reform was forwarded to the Legislative Yuan on April 11, he said, adding that in light of the complexity of pension reform, the Examination Yuan should communicate better with the public to build up stronger public support for the pension reform effort.
In discussing exercise of the power to oversee government, the president said that "enhancing human rights safeguards and implementing democracy and the rule of law" are universal values. The Control Yuan, he noted, is empowered to exercise impartial and independent oversight of the government, and it has made every effort to take action against illegality and negligence, establish democracy and the rule of law, and uphold social justice. President Ma commented that the Control Yuan handles many cases that involve human rights and gender equality, and has done much to protect the interests of the public, enhance government efficiency, and ensure better implementation of government policies.
President Ma emphasized that he mentioned the serious challenges facing the nation in this year's National Day Address. He said the nation must "identify its niche, and find a viable way forward." Consequently, the nation must be resolute in the direction of reform so as to "bequeath to our children a liberalized and prosperous economic environment, a rational and caring civil society, a peaceful cross-strait relationship, and a friendly and cooperative space for ourselves in the international community."
Looking to the future, the president reiterated that his administration bears a heavy responsibility to bring greater prosperity and stability to the nation, and to enable its people to enjoy better quality of life. He called on those in attendance to work together and embrace the principles of reform in order to create a new era for the nation and society.
Among those attending the reception were Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺), Judicial Yuan President Hau-Min Rai (賴浩敏), Examination Yuan President Kuan Chung (關中), Control Yuan President Wang Chien-shien (王建煊), Vice Premier Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國), Legislative Yuan Vice President Hung Hsiu-Chu (洪秀柱), Judicial Yuan Vice President Yeong-Chin Su (蘇永欽), Examination Yuan Vice President Wu Jin-lin (伍錦霖), Control Yuan Vice President Chen Jinn-lih (陳進利), Executive Yuan Secretary-General Chen Wei-zen (陳威仁), Judicial Yuan Secretary-General Jiin-fang Lin (林錦芳), Examination Yuan Secretary-General Hwang Yea-baang (黃雅榜), and Control Yuan Secretary-General Chen Feng-yi (陳豐義).