President Ma Ying-jeou met on the morning of September 30 with Dominican Republic Chamber of Deputies President Abel Atahualpa Martinez Duran and Mrs. Martinez. The president welcomed the visitors to Taiwan and called for a continued strengthening of bilateral cooperation.
In remarks, President Ma noted that Chamber President Martinez originally studied law, specializing in intellectual property rights and prevention of money laundering. He has served as a prosecutor in Santiago Province, said the president, and during three terms as a member of the Chamber of Deputies has been elected five straight times as chamber president. President Ma stated that Chamber President Martinez has used his expertise during his tenure in the Chamber of Deputies to help pass a number of important reform bills and legislation that have been crucial to the public well-being, and he has an outstanding reputation. In addition, President Ma remarked, Chamber President Martinez has also issued a children's version of the Dominican Republic Constitution and visited elementary and junior high schools to talk about the constitution. His dedication to the law, said President Ma, is quite impressive.
President Ma commented that Dominican Republic President Danilo Medina has strived to promote reforms and infrastructure projects since his inauguration two years ago, and his nation's economy has performed well over this period. Economic growth hit 4.1% last year and is forecast to reach 4.5% this year. President Ma noted that the Dominican Republic enjoys political stability, has a abundant and hard-working labor force, and has signed free trade agreements with the United States, the European Union, Central American nations, and the Caribbean Community. Consequently, the Dominican Republic has attracted a large amount of international investment, he pointed out, specifically mentioning that Hong Fu Group, a footwear manufacturer from Taiwan, in April of this year opened a factory in Santiago Province, and that General Footwear Industrial Co. will be following suit in October by opening a plant in the Dominican Republic. These moves, he stated, are expected to generate tens of thousands of jobs and promote local development and prosperity.
As for cross-strait relations, the president explained to the visitors that he has strived to reduce tensions in the Taiwan Strait and pursue reconciliation since taking office in 2008. Taiwan and mainland China have already signed 21 agreements, thus promoting regional peace and creating a virtuous cycle wherein improved cross-strait relations pave the way for improved ties between Taiwan and the international community, and vice-versa. President Ma cited the example of Taiwan's participation in United Nations activities, pointing out that over the past six years Taiwan has returned to the World Health Assembly, from which it had been absent for 38 years, and resumed attendance at the annual meetings of the International Civil Aviation Organization after a 42-year hiatus. He expressed hope that Taiwan can continue to participate meaningfully in international organizations and activities.
With respect to Taiwan's economic and trade policies, the president said, in addition to signing the Cross-Straits Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement with mainland China, Taiwan has also signed a Bilateral Investment Arrangement with Japan, the ANZTEC economic cooperation agreement with New Zealand, and the ASTEP economic partnership agreement with Singapore. Presently, Taiwan and the United States are discussing a bilateral investment agreement, he mentioned. At the same time, the government is actively participating in regional economic integration, and hopes to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Regional Cooperation Economic Partnership, he remarked. Since the Dominican Republic has signed free trade agreements with many countries, the president stated, the ROC hopes to exchange opinions with its diplomatic partner on related issues.
President Ma then discussed Taiwan's foreign aid, saying that over the past six years Taiwan has provided rescue and relief assistance to Haiti after a strong earthquake, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua after heavy flooding, Japan after the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011, and the Philippines and Palau after typhoons. The president also noted that the ROC has donated 100,000 sets of protective clothing to areas in Africa affected by the increasingly serious outbreak of the Ebola virus, and it also intends to donate US$1 million and dispatch a team of medical experts to the region to provide support.
Lastly, President Ma remarked that the ROC and the Dominican Republic established diplomatic relations in 1944, and that the two countries are now celebrating 70 years of their alliance. Both countries share the universal values of freedom and democracy while pursuing cooperation projects to benefit the people of the two countries, he said. The president expressed hope that this visit will further improve mutual understanding and promote an even stronger relationship between the two nations.
Escorting Chamber President Martinez and Mrs. Martinez to meet with the president was Dominican Republic Ambassador to the ROC Rafaela Alburquerque de Gonzalez.