On the evening of September 19, President Ma Ying-jeou received the 2014 Eisenhower Medallion from People to People International (PTPI). During his meeting with members of the PTPI prior to the award ceremony, the president recognized the contributions of the organization to world peace. He also reiterated that the ROC is actively playing a role as a peacemaker by promoting harmony in the international community.
The following is an English translation of the president's remarks:
On behalf of the people of the Republic of China (Taiwan), I am deeply honored to receive the 2014 Eisenhower Medallion from People to People International. This award is not given to me alone; it also recognizes the people of the ROC, who have supported the ideal of making our country a peacemaker in the region.
The Eisenhower Medallion aims to encourage people around the world to pursue peace through rational dialogue. Today, my acceptance of this award in my capacity as president of the ROC represents affirmation of our people’s commitment to the pursuit of peace, which will become an important future asset for our nation.
There are three reasons for me to accept the Eisenhower Medallion with my deepest thanks. Firstly, it is always our wish to make the ROC (Taiwan) a peacemaker and this award in consistent with the national goal for peace. Moreover, the medallion is awarded by People to People International, which was founded by then U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a great statesman I deeply respect. I’m a fan of his. Thirdly, in my six years as president, I’ve presented many awards to others, but this is the first time I’ve received one myself from a foreign organization.
I would like to take this opportunity to say something about the deep and long-lasting friendship between President Eisenhower and the ROC. President Eisenhower was elected in 1952 and inaugurated on January 20, 1953, but before taking office he visited Korea and expressed his determination to quickly bring the Korean War to an end. Subsequently, the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed on July 27, 1953, ending three years of war. His resolve to promote peace in East Asia was truly admirable.
Due to his great concern for East Asia, especially the situation in Northeast Asia, Eisenhower dispatched Vice President Richard Nixon to Taiwan in November 1953. Nixon met with President Chiang Kai-shek and offered assurances regarding the security of Taiwan and Penghu. The Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States of America and the Republic of China was then signed in December 1954. And in 1955, the U.S. Congress passed the Formosa Resolution, authorizing the U.S. president to send troops to defend Taiwan, and continuing assistance from the U.S. Seventh Fleet in the defense of the Taiwan Strait.
Another critical decision made by President Eisenhower was to support the ROC during the 1958 crisis in the Taiwan Strait (August 23 Artillery War of Kinmen), by supplying military equipment and dispatching U.S. forces to positions three nautical miles outside Kinmen to provide support, in this way truly safeguarding the Taiwan Strait.
Following this crisis, Eisenhower sent then Secretary of State John Foster Dulles to Taiwan. Dulles and President Chiang issued a joint communiqué emphasizing that the foundation and principal means of the ROC in restoring freedom to its people on the mainland would be political, rather than military, thus instituting an important change in strategy.
Fifty-some years have passed since the 1958 crisis, and many people have forgotten that more than 470,000 artillery shells hit Kinmen, an island of less than 150 square kilometers. Without such strong U.S. support, it would have been very difficult for us to resist such a fierce attack from mainland China.
Prior to the end of his tenure President Eisenhower visited Taiwan on June 18-19, 1960, issuing a joint statement with President Chiang stressing that, under the Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States of America and the Republic of China, the two sides would work together to contain any provocative actions threatening the security of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu, in effect extending the 1954 mutual defense treaty to ensure 25 years of peace in the Taiwan Strait.
During World War II, Eisenhower was the most prominent commander in the liberation of North Africa and Europe, a truly world-class military hero. He knew that to maintain peace one had to be prepared. He was the greatest proponent of peace, yet also the greatest warrior.
Seventy years ago, on June 6, Eisenhower commanded the largest military force on earth, nearly 1.3 million soldiers, in the legendary victory at Normandy. Following his retirement from the military in 1948, he served as president of Columbia University. He thus had distinguished career in the army, at a prestigious Ivy League university, and as supreme commander of NATO. We cannot help but admire his remarkable accomplishments in both the military and civilian spheres.
I understand that peaceful means are needed to resolve many issues. After becoming president, I immediately dedicated myself to the task of improving cross-strait relations, leading to the most peaceful and prosperous conditions between Taiwan and mainland China in 65 years. As you may know, over the last six years annual two-way visits have now reached 8 million, with over 3 million mainland Chinese travelers coming to Taiwan each year. Before I took office, only about 800 mainland students per year came to Taiwan, compared to 25,000 at present.
But our campaign for peace has not been limited to cross-strait relations. Our dispute with Japan over the Diaoyutai Islands has gone on for 40 years, preventing our fishermen from operating in our territorial waters around the archipelago. On our initiative, last year we signed a fisheries agreement with Japan, allowing Taiwan and Ryukyu fishermen to freely operate in an area twice the size of Taiwan, over 70,000 square kilometers. This has not only greatly reduced confrontations—from 17 times the year before the agreement was inked to just one case since then—but catches for both sides have increased substantially. Bluefin tuna, the major commercial fish in the area, have significantly boosted profits for our fishermen.
In a dispute last year with the Philippines over the incident involving our fishing boat, the Guang Da Xing No. 28, we also went through peaceful talks to obtain an apology from the Philippine government, compensation, and the indictment of the Philippine coast guard personnel involved. Most importantly, the two sides have agreed not to use violence in law enforcement, to notify each other before taking law enforcement actions, and to release seized fishing boats and detained fishermen as soon as possible. For over a year now, there has been only one dispute, making this the calmest period in our fishery relations with the Philippines in the last 20 or 30 years.
President Eisenhower once said that as long as there is direct dialogue, world peace cannot be far off.
Ladies and gentlemen, being a member of the international community, the Republic of China has actively functioned as a peacemaker and a provider of humanitarian aid. The sincerity of the ROC’s pursuit of regional peace shows through quite clearly in our handling of relations in the Taiwan Strait, the East China Sea, and the South China Sea.
In addition, the way our country has consistently provided timely assistance and donations in the wake of large-scale international disasters also clearly illustrates our role as a provider of humanitarian aid. I am referring to the Sichuan earthquake in May 2008, the Haiti earthquake in January 2010, the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in March 2011, as well as the disaster in the Philippines and Palau caused by Typhoon Haiyan last year.
It is precisely this firm pledge to establish peace and provide humanitarian aid that has enabled my country to put forward regional peace initiatives that everyone is willing to support, and under which everyone comes out a winner.
Peace is a commitment. To achieve and maintain it takes courage and determination. I personally believe that President Eisenhower, were he with us still, would certainly embrace our determination to do everything in our power to preserve peace in the Asia-Pacific region.
I will continue to work hard with my compatriots to uphold regional peace and stability. I also look forward to sharing with people everywhere the compassion and concern for humanity that the people in Taiwan have always felt so strongly. I would like to conclude my remarks now by again thanking People to People International for presenting me with this great honor. Thank you!