President Ma Ying-jeou met on the morning of June 1 with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs Charles H. Rivkin. The president stated that the bilateral cooperative relationship is poised to become even stronger in the future based on the existing strong foundation of cooperation. He also hopes that the United States will continue to support Taiwan's entry into the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) so that the ROC can make even more contributions to regional economic prosperity.
In remarks, the president stated that Assistant Secretary Rivkin is the highest ranking official in the State Department's Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, and the highest level State Department official to visit the ROC since former Assistant Secretary Jose Fernandez traveled here in 2012. The president hopes that this trip will enable Assistant Secretary Rivkin to have a better understanding of the situation here, and that it will be helpful in adding depth to the development of bilateral relations in a wide range of areas.
The president said that since he took office in 2008 the ROC government has consistently sought, under the framework of the ROC Constitution, to maintain the status quo of "no unification, no independence, and no use of force" in the Taiwan Strait, and to promote the peaceful development of cross-strait ties under the "1992 Consensus," whereby each side acknowledges the existence of "one China" but maintains its own interpretation of what that means. Currently, cross-strait relations are at their most stable since the two sides came under separate rule 66 years ago. This past February, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel delivered an address in which he applauded the progress in cross-strait relations. That progress, he said, has been conducive to the development of Taiwan-U.S. relations over the past several years, indicating that progress in Taiwan-U.S. relations and cross-strait relations are closely related.
Mentioning the ROC's efforts to promote peace in the region, the president noted that he announced the East China Sea Peace Initiative in August 2012, which stresses that "although sovereignty over national territory cannot be compromised, natural resources can be shared." Subsequently, following several months of negotiations, the ROC and Japan in April 2013 signed a fisheries agreement, thereby resolving a 40-year fishing dispute. On May 26 this year, he formally announced the South China Sea Peace Initiative, applying the concepts promoted in the East China Sea Peace Initiative in the South China Sea, hoping to make the South China Sea a "sea of peace and cooperation" like the East China Sea. The president stated that the day following his announcement, the U.S. State Department expressed that it appreciates the initiative and supports the ROC's advocacy of using peaceful means to resolve disputes. The U.S. also urged all parties to avoid taking any unilateral measures that would increase tensions, thus maintaining stable development in those waters.
The president said that cooperation between the ROC and the United States has continued to expand in recent years. Following Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy's visit to Taiwan in April last year, U.S. Senior Official for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Robert Wang came here last month and attended the Conference on Next Generation Power in Asia. Meanwhile, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Susan Thornton in a recent address at a think tank mentioned the wide-ranging cooperation between the ROC and the United States, and also remarked that Taiwan is a "vital partner" of the United States in East Asia. She specially emphasized that the ROC has adopted a "no-surprises, low-key" communications approach, and has taken a stable approach to addressing cross-strait relations, thereby bringing about enormous benefits in Taiwan's relations with mainland China and the United States. She expressed hope to see this approach continue.
The president also commented on the rapid development throughout the world of the Internet and technology platforms, solidifying a basis for growth of the global digital and information economy. The United States unveiled the Enabling Inclusive Growth through the Digital Economy initiative at APEC this year, and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on May 18 when visiting Korea delivered a keynote address entitled An Open and Secure Internet. This indicates that countries around the world are seeing the importance of these topics in the new economic diplomacy paradigm, he said. Assistant Secretary Rivkin is also actively promoting this agenda, and the president hopes that he will exchange opinions with industry leaders on June 2 when he attends 2015 COMPUTEX TAIPEI, the largest ICT products fair in Asia and the second largest in the world. This interaction will help to further boost the cooperative relationship between the ROC and the United States in Internet technology and the digital economy, said the president.
The president mentioned that Assistant Secretary Rivkin recently, in response to a written question by House Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairman Ed Royce, stressed that Taiwan is the 10th largest trading partner of the United States and is a major investor in America, and is also among the 10 largest U.S. export markets for agricultural and food products. This fact is testament to the close economic and commercial relations between the two sides, and such trade relationship generates and maintains jobs in the United States. Chairman Royce recently even said flat out that Taiwan is a "key component" in the U.S. rebalance to Asia policy.
President Ma furthermore stated that negotiations under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) resumed in 2013 and considerable results have been seen to date. Meanwhile, negotiations associated with the U.S.-led TPP are ongoing. The ROC, the president said, is deeply grateful for recent public statements by many senior U.S. government officials welcoming Taiwan into the TPP. Secretary of State Kerry even stated that the U.S. administration has begun to share information on the goals, standards, and reforms that need to be completed prior to gaining entrance. Assistant Secretary of State Russel during a House hearing also said that the United States will give serious consideration to Taiwan becoming a candidate for TPP membership. President Ma said he was deeply pleased to hear these positive remarks. Given that TPP member states absorb 35% of Taiwan's exports, the president hopes the United States will take concrete measures to support and assist TPP entry for Taiwan, thereby further enhancing the economic interests of the ROC, the United States, and countries in the region.
In his remarks, Assistant Secretary Rivkin stated that he is very pleased to have been invited to visit Taiwan. He also stressed the special affection that the United States has for Taiwan, and that it admires the many efforts made by the people of Taiwan to create a prosperous society, maintain democracy, and forge a stable social order. The United States views Taiwan as an important ally, and hopes that the two sides can cooperate even more and devote greater efforts to promoting regional peace and generate mutual benefits. At the same time, the United States also welcomes Taiwan to participate in addressing global environmental issues and humanitarian crises, including the challenges being faced in West Africa, Syria, and Nepal, he said. Taiwan and the United States will sign a framework agreement in the near future that will pave the way to further expand their wide-ranging cooperative relationship, said Assistant Secretary Rivkin.
Mr. Rivkin also pointed out the close bilateral economic relationship, noting that Taiwan has vaulted over India and Saudi Arabia to become the 10th largest trading partner of the United States, while the United States has surpassed Japan to become Taiwan's second largest. He hopes that Taiwan and the United States will continue to cooperate to promote global economic prosperity and regional stability, as well as deepen their partnership.