President Ma Ying-jeou met on the morning of October 27 with a delegation from the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). In addition to recognizing the role that the CNAS plays as a think tank for American security, the president also briefed the visitors on the "three lines of defense" strategy for Taiwan's national security.
In remarks, President Ma noted that the CNAS is an important non-partisan think tank that focuses primarily on American national security and national defense policy. Since its establishment in 2007, the organization has received considerable attention in the United States and throughout the world, he said. Experts and scholars from CNAS regularly are recruited by US government agencies to serve in important positions, the president remarked, citing the example of CNAS Chief Executive Officer Michele Flournoy, who served as the under secretary of defense for policy. This fact indicates the important position and influence that the CNAS has among policymakers in Washington, DC.
Commenting on the three lines of defense for national security, President Ma stated that national security is critical to Taiwan's survival and development. Due to the complexities in East Asia, said the president, the ROC government has adopted a pragmatic attitude in building the three lines of defense to ensure the security of the public here.
President Ma explained that the first line of defense is the institutionalization of cross-strait rapprochement. He stated that upon taking office in 2008 he started working to improve cross-strait relations. To date, he said, the two sides have signed 21 agreements and have reached consensus on two issues, which has eliminated confrontation and reduced tension. In February and June of this year, Minister Wang Yu-Chi (王郁琦) of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council and Minister Zhang Zhijun (張志軍) of mainland China's Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council engaged in reciprocal visits and referred to each other by their formal titles, the first time this had occurred in the 65 years since the two sides came under separate rule, the president noted. Looking ahead, President Ma said he hopes the two sides will establish representative offices to facilitate the handling of cross-strait affairs and further pursue the goal of peace and prosperity.
The second line of defense for Taiwan, said the president, is an increased contribution by Taiwan to international development. He pointed out that in recent years Taiwan has actively sought to play the role of a peacemaker, a provider of humanitarian aid, a promoter of cultural ties, a creator of new technologies and business opportunities, and a standard-bearer of Chinese culture. President Ma specially mentioned that, in order to maintain regional peace, Taiwan has signed a fisheries agreement with Japan and has reached a consensus with the Philippines on law enforcing at sea. These steps were taken to resolve controversies and disputes. In the area of humanitarian aid, the president said, when natural disasters occurred in such places as Haiti, Japan, the Philippines, and mainland China, Taiwan has come quickly to their aid, providing manpower and relief goods.
The third line of defense, President Ma noted, is the strengthening of the nation's defense force. He remarked that the ROC military embraces the strategic principle of "resolute defense and effective deterrence." It utilizes asymmetrical and innovative ways of thinking to reduce the possibility of military conflict, said the president. At the same time, in order to boost the nation's defensive capabilities, the military, starting two years ago, began promoting a volunteer army system to create a military force that, while small, is also strong, specialized, and skillful. In the first nine months of this year, it has already recruited 27,000 new soldiers, he stated. The government also is working to raise salaries, enhance dignity, and increase employment opportunities for military personnel when they complete their service. These efforts so far have successfully boosted the retention ratio of servicemen to 57% from 42%, which is extremely important in enhancing the quality of Taiwan's military, the president remarked.
Commenting on relations between Taiwan and the United States, President Ma stated that Taiwan in recent years has continued to purchase defensive weapons from America, and over the past six years it has procured a total of US$18.3 billion worth of equipment, which is a new high. He mentioned that the two sides last year resumed negotiations under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, which has enormous impact on the development of bilateral economic and trade relations. The president also expressed hope that the two countries can sign a bilateral investment agreement in order to deepen the economic and trade relationship.
President Ma mentioned that Taiwan is also working to bolster ties with major trading partners in the region, and has demonstrated its determination to promote trade liberalization by signing investment agreements or economic cooperation agreements in recent years with mainland China, Japan, New Zealand, and Singapore. Taiwan, he said, hopes in the future to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which would enable it to play an even more active role in the course of regional economic integration. "While there are still obstacles to overcome, this will be the main goal of our work in the coming few years," the president noted.
The delegation was led by CNAS Chief Executive Officer Michele Flournoy to meet with President Ma.