President Ma Ying-jeou met on the afternoon of April 14 with a delegation led by Muslim World League (MWL) Secretary-General Abdullah Bin Abdulmohsin Al-Turki. In addition to recognizing the cordial relationship between the MWL and the ROC, the president also explained the state of development of Islam in Taiwan.
In remarks, President Ma stated that the Saudi Arabian government helped found the MWL, a global Muslim organization, to propagate Islamic doctrine. The goal of the MWL is to eliminate disagreements among the world's major religions and work together towards a vision of world peace. Under the outstanding leadership of Secretary-General Al-Turki, the MWL has actively disseminated Islamic doctrine, worked to promote international humanitarian aid, and facilitated dialogue among major religions. Its contributions in this regard have been quite impressive, the president said.
Discussing the state of development of Islam in Taiwan, President Ma noted that Islam is one of the world's three major religions, with over 1.5 billion adherents. There are roughly 250,000 Muslims in Taiwan, 50,000 of whom are ROC nationals, while the other some 200,000 are foreign nationals from Indonesia and other countries. Muslims constitute about 1% of Taiwan's population, and the president said that while their numbers are small, they are extremely devout and help to contribute their diverse and rich religious culture to Taiwan.
President Ma also mentioned that upon taking office in 2008, he has actively promoted peaceful development and mutual interaction between Taiwan and mainland China. The two sides to date have signed 21 agreements and reached consensus on two issues. Mainland Chinese visitors have made over 14 million trips to Taiwan, and the number of mainland Chinese students coming to Taiwan to study has increased from over 800 prior to his taking office to over 32,000 now, which is equivalent to 40-fold growth, he said. The president stated that this allows youth from the two sides to interact starting at an early stage and will thus be conducive to the future development of cross-strait relations. He added that in the 66 years since the two sides came under separate rule, cross-strait relations have never been more stable and peaceful.
President Ma emphasized that he introduced the East China Sea Peace Initiative in August 2012, urging all parties to act in accordance with international law and resolve disputes in the East China Sea by peaceful means. The government put the principle of that call to peace into concrete practice by signing a fisheries agreement with Japan in April 2013. That agreement, which has been in effect for two years, resolved fishing disputes between the two countries that had lasted for 40 years. At the same time, the catches by fishermen from the two countries have also increased, he said.
The president stated that the ROC hopes to play the role of peacemaker in the international arena, and that the nation's efforts in this regard have won applause from the international community. In September of last year, People to People International awarded President Ma its Eisenhower Medallion in recognition of the ROC's contributions to promoting peace in the East China Sea. This, the president said, shows that the government's efforts to forge peace in the region have been recognized internationally.
Discussing the ROC's efforts in its role as a provider of humanitarian aid, the president said that following the March 11, 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, the people of the ROC donated some US$200 million to Japan, more than any other country. We also immediately dispatched military cargo planes and naval vessels to deliver over 700 tons of material goods to areas of the Philippines devastated by Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. And last year, the ROC responded to the outbreak of the Ebola virus in Africa by donating 100,000 sets of protective gear to West Africa to aid in outbreak prevention work. Last December the ROC also donated US$1 million to the CDC Foundation in the US as part of the international response to the Ebola outbreak. And as a result of close cooperation between Taiwan and the United States, on March 18 the government set up a training course designed to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases, where courses will be held to prepare health care professionals from the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Vietnam to work in Ebola treatment units, he said.
President Ma also pointed out that the ROC has provided assistance to refugees from war in parts of the Middle East. He said that the government at the end of last year donated 350 pre-fab structures to northern Iraq to provide refugees with shelter during the winter months. The ROC government has over the past two years donated a total of US$8.25 million in assistance to that region, and continues to be involved in humanitarian activities, thus displaying the true spirit of humanitarian aid.
Lastly, the president expressed hope that the ROC and Saudi Arabia can continue to strengthen cooperation in trade and economics, technology, and culture, thereby leading to even greater mutual benefit.
The delegation included Saudi Arabian Trade Office in Taipei Representative Talat Ebrahim A. Al-Muslemani, MWL Director-General of Conferences and Organizations Rahmatullah Enayatullah Al-Turkistani, MWL Director-General of Public Relations Mohammad Said A. Al-Ghamdi, Saudi Arabian Ministry of Interior Researcher Abdulaziz Al-Halil, and Saudi Arabian Ministry of Islamic Affair Director-General Abdulrahman Al-Turki.