President Ma Ying-jeou met on the morning of December 10 with Dr. Joseph S. Nye, the "father of the theory of soft power," a professor at Harvard University, and former US Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. He welcomed Dr. Nye on another visit to Taiwan, and reiterated his admiration for the concepts of soft power and smart power pioneered by Dr. Nye. The president also briefed his visitor on Taiwan's experiences in resolving disputes in the East China Sea and the South China Sea via peaceful means.
In remarks, President Ma stated that upon taking office in 2008 he proposed the five roles that the ROC ought to play in the international community, namely: peacemaker; provider of humanitarian aid; promoter of cultural ties; creator of new technologies and business opportunities; and standard-bearer of Chinese culture. These five roles, he said, are related to the concept of "soft power" advocated by Dr. Nye.
As for the role of peacemaker, the president stated, the government has worked to improve cross-strait relations, thereby promoting greater peace and prosperity on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. The two sides to date have signed 19 agreements and reached two points of consensus, he said, adding that this has changed the Taiwan Strait from a powder keg into a boulevard of peace. In addition, the president noted, Taiwan and Japan in April of this year signed a bilateral fisheries agreement that effectively resolved a 40-year fishing dispute. The two sides decided to shelve their claims of sovereignty over the Diaoyutai Islets in the East China Sea and are instead striving to jointly develop resources in the area, he said. This is not only increasing the catches of fishermen, but also has sharply reduced disputes and instances of regulatory violations, he added. Furthermore, Taiwan and Japan have created a bilateral committee to promote the establishment of a joint conservation and management area, the president remarked.
Regarding mainland China's announcement on November 23 of an East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), the president explained, the ROC government has issued the following four-point statement: (1) the ROC government will staunchly defend its sovereignty over the Diaoyutai Islets and protect its fishermen; (2) the ROC's Air Force will continue to carry out exercises and training activities as normal in the overlapping part of the two sides' ADIZs, but the ROC will go through channels to express to mainland Chinese authorities its serious concern about this situation; (3) Taiwan urges the concerned nations to resolve the dispute by engaging in bilateral talks; and (4) when the ROC receives a request from an airline company, it will relay the flight plans for civil aircraft that pass through the ADIZ to the mainland China authorities, mainly in order to ensure flight safety and the wellbeing of passengers. President Ma stressed that the resolution of disputes via peaceful means has always been a core policy of the ROC, and he expressed hope that the East China Sea can once more be a "sea of peace and cooperation," as before.
Regarding Taiwan's role as a provider of humanitarian aid, the president noted, the government and people of Taiwan donated JPY20 billion to Japan after the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011 triggered a tsunami and nuclear disaster. In November of this year, he said, the Philippines was ravaged by Typhoon Haiyan, and the government of Taiwan quickly dispatched cargo aircraft and frigates to the Philippines to help deliver material goods. Despite the unpleasant incident between the two countries earlier this year, the president noted, the people of Taiwan have generously donated over US$10 million to the relief effort there, and Taiwan will be happy to participate in the reconstruction effort. In addition, he said, Taiwan will soon transport prefabricated structures to Palau, which also suffered heavy damage from Typhoon Haiyan. He expressed hope that the structures will be assembled by Christmas.
President Ma said that the ROC has long served in the roles of peacemaker and provider of humanitarian aid in the international community. Consequently, even though the ROC only has 22 diplomatic allies, the number of jurisdictions that provide ROC nationals with landing visas or visa-free courtesies is 134. This, he remarked, is evidence of the impact of "soft power." The president said he hopes that Dr. Nye will offer many suggestions regarding soft power during this visit to Taiwan.