Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

President Ma Ying-jeou on the afternoon of April 15 bestowed the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon on Singapore Trade Representative to Taiwan Calvin Eu Mun Hoo in recognition of his work in enhancing relations between the ROC and Singapore, and his contributions in promoting the signing of the ASTEP economic partnership agreement between the two countries.

After receiving the commendation, Representative Eu stated that he is deeply honored to have personally received this order from President Ma. He went on to say that this reflects the strong substantive relationship that exists between Taiwan and Singapore.

Representative Eu also mentioned that Taiwan and Singapore in November 2013 signed the ASTEP under the framework of the World Trade Organization. This economic partnership agreement centers on measures such as tariff reductions, strengthening market mechanisms, and increasing investment opportunities, thus opening a new era in bilateral economic and trade relations. Statistics indicate that trade between Taiwan and Singapore continued to grow in 2014, he said, pointing out that Singapore is Taiwan's fifth largest trading partner and Taiwan is Singapore's sixth largest. Looking ahead, Representative Eu expressed hope that the two sides will continue to strengthen mutual relations and jointly share in the benefits of economic success.

Also witnessing the ceremony were Singapore Trade Office in Taipei Deputy Representative Constance See, Senior Assistant Representative Jeremy Sor, Secretary-General to the President Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權), Minister of Foreign Affairs David Y. L. Lin (林永樂), Director-General of the Third Bureau of the Presidential Office Fen-Fen Chang (張芬芬), and Presidential Office Spokesperson Charles I-hsin Chen (陳以信).