President Ma Ying-jeou met on the morning of October 13 with a delegation led by US State of Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie. Besides welcoming the delegation to Taiwan, the president also called for continued expansion of cooperation between Taiwan and the United States in the areas of tourism as well as economic and trade ties.
In remarks, President Ma stated that earlier this year when he led a delegation from Taiwan on a visit to ROC allies in Central America, he made a transit stop in Hawaii. At that time, Governor Abercrombie personally met him as he arrived and presented him with small gifts to mark his visit.
The president said that in recent years Taiwan and the United States have enjoyed friendly and close interaction. In the area of tourism, he noted, two years ago the United States included Taiwan in its Visa Waiver Program, which has greatly increased interaction between the two sides. President Ma cited statistics showing that last year the number of tourists from Taiwan visiting the United States was up by about 30% from 2011.
Commenting on economic and trade ties, the president said the United States is Taiwan's third largest trading partner, while Taiwan is the 12th largest trading partner of the United States and the seventh largest market for its agricultural products. So far this year, bilateral trade has grown nearly 7% from the same period last year, he said, adding that this highlights the close ties between the two countries in this regard.
President Ma then discussed Taiwan's external trade policy, emphasizing that Taiwan strongly hopes to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, and to be an important player in the process of economic integration in the Asia-Pacific region so as to avoid being marginalized.
As for Taiwan's external relations, President Ma stated, over the six years since he took office he has consistently advocated peaceful resolution of disputes. Adhering to this principle has shown results in the handling of cross-strait issues as well as controversies in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, he said. The president explained that Taiwan and mainland China have signed 21 agreements since he took office, which has effectively reduced tension in the Taiwan Strait and made interaction between the two sides closer than they have ever been before.
Commenting on fishing disputes in the East China Sea, President Ma mentioned that Taiwan has signed a fisheries agreement with Japan. In the process, the ROC did not yield an inch on its claim of sovereignty over the Diaoyutai Islets, yet its fishermen have seen substantial advances in their fishing rights in the area. This has significantly reduced controversy in the area and benefited both sides, he stated. As for the South China Sea, the president said, Taiwan and the Philippines have already reached a consensus to forbid the use of force in overlapping economic waters, to notify each other prior to the taking of law enforcement actions, and to promptly release any persons detained or arrested. This, he remarked, has done much to promote peace in the region.
President Ma stated that when then Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii Brian Schatz led a delegation to Taiwan in May 2012, he attended the inauguration of the president to a second term in office, and signed a memorandum of understanding with Taichung City on cooperation in the field of green energy, thus highlighting Hawaii's active promotion of interaction in the area of green energy technology. President Ma also noted that Governor Abercrombie on this visit will speak with government agencies about renewable energies. And finally, the president expressed hope that the delegation from Hawaii will take this opportunity to develop an even deeper understanding of Taiwan, which will help to further enhance cooperative ties.