President Ma Ying-jeou met on the morning of May 12 with a delegation from the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN). The president, on behalf of the government and people of the ROC, extended a cordial welcome to the delegation and called for enhanced interaction and cooperation between the two sides.
In remarks, President Ma stated that PARLACEN President Armando Bardales Paz was one of the organization's founders. He previously served on the Commission of Monetary Affairs and Finance, and served as chairman of the Commission of Health, Social Security, Population, Labour and Corporation Affairs. President Bardales visited Taiwan in 2013 and has maintained friendly interaction with the ROC, President Ma said.
The president noted that the ROC's Legislative Yuan in 1999 became a permanent PARLACEN observer, and the two parliamentary bodies have been quite successful in their efforts to develop cooperative relations. PARLACEN passed resolutions in 2010, 2012, and 2013 supporting Taiwan's participation in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the International Civil Aviation Organization. The government and people of the ROC are deeply appreciative of these gestures, the president said.
The president remarked that shortly after taking office in 2008 he made substantive pledges about cutting Taiwan's greenhouse gas emissions, setting a goal of returning emissions to 2005 levels in 2020, and further reducing emissions by 2025 to levels in 2000. Even though Taiwan is not a signatory to the UNFCCC, it has still made important commitments to the international community, which demonstrates that the ROC is qualified to take part in UNFCCC activities, he said.
Addressing Taiwan's achievements in promoting trade liberalization, the president stated that prior to 2008 the ROC had signed four free trade agreements with five allied nations in Central America, and that those agreements have been extremely beneficial in growing bilateral trade. Since he took office, the president stated, Taiwan has signed the Cross-Straits Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement with mainland China, the Taiwan-Japan Bilateral Investment Arrangement, the ANZTEC economic cooperation agreement with New Zealand, and the ASTEP economic partnership agreement with Singapore. These examples are concrete demonstrations of the government's determination to promote trade liberalization, he commented. Taiwan is presently striving to participate in the US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership and the ASEAN-led Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, hoping to avoid being marginalized in the regional economic integration process.
With regard to cross-strait relations, the president said that over the past several decades, the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have moved from military conflict to cold war stand-offs and on to peaceful interaction. The Taiwan Strait has thus been transformed from a killing field into an avenue of peace. Particularly over the past seven years, cross-strait interaction has been quite close, with the two sides signing 21 agreements. Cross-strait relations are now more peaceful and stable than at any point in the past 66 years, the president said.
President Ma also mentioned that Taiwan has had historical disputes with Japan and the Philippines in nearby seas. Two years ago, however, Taiwan and Japan signed a fisheries agreement resolving a 40-year fishing dispute. This development was applauded by many countries throughout the world, including the United States and Australia.
Looking ahead, the president hopes that the concept that "although sovereignty over national territory cannot be compromised, natural resources can be shared" will be further extended to the South China Sea and that Taiwan will interact peacefully with mainland China, Japan, and the Philippines, thus promoting mutual prosperity.
The PARLACEN delegation also included Vice Presidents Juan Pablo Placido Santana, Cirilo Salas Lemos, and Orlando Jose Tardencilla.