President Ma Ying-jeou met on the afternoon of March 25 with a delegation from the Project 2049 Institute of the United States. The president updated his visitors on the recent state of Taiwan's relations with the United States, mainland China, and the international community.
In remarks, President Ma commented that in two more months he will have been in office for six years. Since taking office in 2008, he said, his administration has worked actively to improve cross-strait relations and restore mutual trust between Taiwan and the United States at the highest levels of government. Considerable success has been seen on both of these fronts, he remarked.
The president further commented that in mid-February of this year, Wang Yu-Chi (王郁琦), minister of the Executive Yuan's Mainland Affairs Council, and his mainland Chinese counterpart Zhang Zhijun (張志軍), minister of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, met to discuss cross-strait issues. Both referred to each other using their official titles, the first time that such a meeting has been held since the two sides of the Taiwan Strait came under separate rule 65 years ago, he said.
As for issues in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, the president stated, Taiwan and Japan in April of last year signed a fisheries agreement that resolved a 40-year fishing dispute between the two sides. In addition, in August, after three months of negotiations between Taiwan and the Philippines following the Guang Da Xing No. 28 fishing boat incident in which a Philippine government vessel fired on a Taiwanese fishing boat, killing a fisherman and damaging the boat, the Philippines agreed to issue a formal apology, pay compensation, and punish those responsible. Furthermore, he said, the two sides reached a consensus on the method of enforcement of laws at sea. The president stated that one week earlier, the Philippines formally brought homicide charges against eight officers in the coast guard, which constitutes preliminary progress toward justice being served.
President Ma stated that on February 5 this year US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel at a hearing of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs' Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific mentioned that the key elements of the East China Sea Peace Initiative are at the heart of the U.S. strategy and the U.S. effort, namely respect of international law and peaceful resolution of disputes. This indicates, the president said, that the international community is applauding the calls by Taiwan for peaceful resolution of the East China Sea issue.
President Ma stated that much progress has been seen in relations between Taiwan and the United States over the past year. He pointed out that the two sides in March of last year resumed negotiations under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement. In addition, the two countries continue to strengthen cooperation in the area of security, he said. The P-3C Orion anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft, as well as the AH-64E Apache helicopters that Taiwan purchased from the United States, are gradually being delivered, the president noted, adding that these items are effectively enhancing Taiwan's military preparedness.
President Ma also expressed hope that Taiwan will be able to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) as soon as possible to avoid being marginalized in the process of economic integration within the region. In an effort to create conditions conducive to joining these trade blocs, the president said, Taiwan in 2010 signed the Cross-Straits Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement with mainland China, its largest trading partner, and then in 2011 signed the Taiwan-Japan Bilateral Investment Arrangement with its second largest trading partner. President Ma added that last year Taiwan signed the ANZTEC economic cooperation agreement with New Zealand and the ASTEP economic partnership agreement with Singapore. He said that agreements of this sort will demonstrate Taiwan's determination to pursue trade liberalization.
President Ma also mentioned that in early October of last year former Vice President Vincent C. Siew (蕭萬長), who attended the 21st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting on his behalf, engaged in bilateral discussions with US Secretary of State John F. Kerry, and that the two exchanged in-depth opinions on the TPP. At the same time, Taiwan is also actively supporting the SelectUSA investment initiative, he said. The president pointed out that former Vice President Siew in November 2013 led a delegation of business leaders from Taiwan to the United States, and that the response from the United States to this visit was quite positive.
President Ma stated that April 10 of this year marks the 35th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act, and a series of commemorative activities will be held both in Taipei and Washington, D. C. He mentioned that on April 9 he will hold a videoconference with the Center for Strategic and International Studies of the United States to discuss the development of Taiwan-American relations over the past 35 years.
Lastly, the president stated that six years ago when he took office, he envisioned a free, democratic, and prosperous Taiwan, and hoped to build up peaceful cross-strait relations while fostering friendship in the international community toward Taiwan. President Ma stated that concrete results have been seen on all of these fronts, pointing out that mutual trust has been re-established with the United States at the highest levels, and cross-strait relations have improved. Both of these have had a considerable positive effect on Taiwan's security and the wellbeing of the public, he said. He also expressed hope that his guests would continue to provide Taiwan with their suggestions and encouragement.
Among those meeting with the president were former US Deputy Secretary of State and President of Armitage International Richard L. Armitage, who led the delegation; former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs and President and CEO of the Project 2049 Institute Randall Schriver; former Director for Asian Affairs at the White House on the National Security Council and Senior Adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies Victor Cha; John Bellinger, a partner in Arnold & Porter LLP's national security and public international law practices; Harvard University's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs Fellow Holly Hastings Morrow; and the George W. Bush Institute's Freedom Advocate Initiative Program Manager Elizabeth Hoffman.