President Ma Ying-jeou met on the morning of October 23 with a delegation from the National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP), a US non-partisan think tank. After welcoming the delegation to Taiwan, the president briefed his visitors on what the government has done in recent years to improve Taiwan's relations with mainland China and the United States, as well as to promote regional peace and provide humanitarian aid.
In remarks, President Ma first complimented the NCAFP for its many years of research on cross-strait relations and the Track I 1/2 and Track II activities, which, he said, have promoted a wide range of discussions on related topics. The president noted that he previously participated in a Track II conference held by the organization, and voiced his stance that if the two sides of the Taiwan Strait sought to continue developing relations, they should return to the foundation of the "1992 Consensus," whereby each side acknowledges the existence of "one China" but maintains its own interpretation of what that means. President Ma said that the "1992 Consensus" has consistently been supported by the majority in Taiwan, which proves that it is quite correct and will stand the test of time.
Remarking on progress in cross-strait relations, the president stated that Taiwan and mainland China have signed 21 agreements, including the Cross-Straits Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA). Since the ECFA is a framework agreement, the two sides are also working on agreements on trade in services, trade in goods, investment protection, and dispute settlement, he said. In addition, the president noted, this year the heads of the agencies on either side of the Taiwan Strait responsible for cross-strait affairs have held two meetings. During those discussions, Minister Wang Yu-Chi (王郁琦) of the Executive Yuan's Mainland Affairs Council and Minister Zhang Zhijun (張志軍) of mainland China's Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council addressed each other by their formal titles, the first time that has taken place in the 65 years since the two sides have been under separate rule.
As for relations between Taiwan and the United States, President Ma told the visitors that upon taking office six years ago he sought to re-establish mutual trust at the highest levels of government in the two countries, and improve bilateral relations. In April of this year, for instance, US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy visited Taiwan to witness the joint signing of the International Environmental Partnership, and this was the first time in 14 years that a US Cabinet-level official had visited Taiwan. President Ma added that Taiwan and the United States in March of last year resumed negotiations under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) and have so far held two meetings, achieving many results. He stated that Taiwan hopes to sign a bilateral investment agreement as soon as possible to promote trade and economic relations.
President Ma further stated that this year marked the 35th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act, and that a number of activities took place to commemorate this event in the US Congress and within political and academic circles. This legislation has contributed to Taiwan-US relations in a substantive manner. He also thanked US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel for repeatedly reiterating in public the commitment by the United States to the "Six Assurances" it has made to Taiwan.
Noting that on April 10 of last year Taiwan and Japan signed a fisheries agreement which resolved a 40-year fishing dispute, the president said the agreement has enabled Taiwanese fishermen to increase their catches. Meanwhile, he noted, Taiwan and the Philippines have reached a consensus to refrain from using force in law enforcement actions, to notify each other prior to such actions, and to promptly release detained fishing vessels and crews in case of arrest. These are examples of Taiwan's efforts to promote regional peace, said President Ma.
On the topic of humanitarian aid, the president stated, the government has provided assistance and donations after the May 2008 Sichuan earthquake in mainland China, the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, and Typhoon Haiyan in November 2013, which devastated parts of the Philippines and Palau. And in response to the recent outbreak of Ebola in Africa, he stated, the government has donated US$1 million and 100,000 sets of top-quality protective gear. All of these gestures have been made to help disaster-stricken countries overcome their difficulties, he remarked.
Among those in the delegation were NCAFP President George D. Schwab, Founding Director of the Kissinger Institute on China and the United States at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars J. Stapleton Roy, Albright Stonebridge Group Senior Advisor Evans Joseph Robert Revere, and Center for Strategic and International Studies Pacific Forum President Ralph A. Cossa.