President Ma Ying-jeou hosted a banquet for overseas compatriots residing in Nicaragua, Chinese language teachers, and members of the ROC embassy and their families at noon on July 15 Nicaragua time (early morning July 16 Taipei time). In the afternoon the president toured the National Trade Fair Park (Parque Nacional de Ferias), a product display and sales area for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that was established under a bilateral cooperative program.
At the luncheon the president remarked that ethnic Chinese immigrated to Nicaragua as early as 1884, and over the years had established themselves and flourished. Some overseas compatriots in Nicaragua today are already fourth or fifth generation, and have made significant contributions in the development of Nicaragua's political, economic, and cultural spheres, he stated.
President Ma also updated the overseas compatriots on the ROC's achievements in social and economic development in recent years. He said that the government has actively sought to improve public safety in Taiwan, thus reducing the crime rate and increasing the clearance rate. Meanwhile, the number of deaths caused by people driving under the influence has fallen significantly. Through the concerted efforts of the government and people, Taiwan also posted economic growth last year of 3.74%, making 2014 the first time in 16 years that Taiwan's economic growth rate was the highest of Asia's four little tigers.
As for progress in the ROC's relations with the international community, President Ma noted that upon taking office in 2008, he set out to ensure a "prosperous Taiwan, peaceful Taiwan Strait, and friendly international relations" while also seeking to make the ROC a peacemaker and provider of international humanitarian aid. The ROC currently maintains stable alliances with its 22 diplomatic partners, while its relations with Japan, the United States and the European Union are the best they have been in recent years. The number of countries and areas that provide ROC nationals with visa-free courtesies or landing visas has also increased from 54 prior to his taking office to 142 now, while the number of tourists visiting Taiwan has increased sharply from 3.71 million in 2008 to 9.91 million last year, he said.
Turning to cross-strait relations, the president remarked that 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. Over the past seven years, economic and trade dealings between Taiwan and mainland China have greatly benefited Taiwan's small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), while the two sides have cooperated in arresting over 6,000 suspects since the signing of the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, said the president.
President Ma commented that the vicious cycle that previously marked the ROC's relations with mainland China and the international community has been changed into a virtuous cycle. And in an effort to promote regional peace, the ROC and Japan signed a fisheries agreement that resolved a 40-year old fishing dispute between the two countries in the East China Sea. Subsequently, the president explained that he sought to apply a key principle underlying that fisheries agreement by proposing the South China Sea Peace Initiative. That principle, wherein "sovereignty over national territory cannot be compromised, but natural resources can be shared" is designed to increase the possibility of mutual cooperation. Looking ahead, the president said that he will continue to make every effort to defend the ROC Constitution so that the nation will be widely respected, and a source of inspiration.
In the afternoon Nicaraguan Minister of Development, Industry and Trade Rolando Solorzano accompanied President Ma on a tour of the National Trade Fair Park for MSMEs, the result of a bilateral cooperation project. President Ma not only toured a model farm and savored Nicaraguan cuisine—Caballo Bayo and Grama tea—in the food section, but also bought ground coffee and a handmade carved wood necklace to show support for the products produced by small- and medium-sized agricultural and industrial enterprises in Nicaragua.
After listening to a briefing by a Nicaraguan official on the achievements of the joint ROC-Nicaragua Zero Hunger project and low-rate microloan program the president stated that when he visited Nicaragua in 2009, he and President Ortega both participated in a foundation stone laying ceremony. President Ma also remarked that he visited the park again and saw how smoothly it is functioning, showing concrete results in meeting the initial project objectives—promoting jobs and prosperity in rural communities.
The president remarked that the World Bank has already announced that in June of this year, the International Development Association removed Nicaragua from its list of the world's poorest countries, with Nicaragua's per capita GDP having topped US$2,000. This, the president said, is the best example of President Ortega and First Lady Rosario Murillo's administrative policy of eradicating hunger and poverty, and caring for underprivileged groups.
President Ma then mentioned that the ROC and Nicaragua both place great emphasis on the development of SMEs. And with SMEs comprising 98% of Taiwan enterprises, it's clear that a nation's economy need not necessarily rely solely on mega-enterprises. Rather, SMEs can play a prominent role, making a nation wealthy and improving the lives of the public. The president stated that while global economic growth has slowed in recent years, Nicaragua's annual growth has been nearly 5%, making it an economic bright spot in Latin America. He then said he is confident that as Nicaragua's economy continues to grow, its citizens will enjoy a better life and its national power will be enhanced.
The president then mentioned successes in bilateral cooperation projects. He pointed out that in February this year Nicaragua's National Assembly passed a ROC-Nicaragua Technical Cooperation Framework Agreement. This initiative will help develop Nicaragua's small-scale farmers by providing technology transfers and training guidance, making a wide-ranging impact on farmers' quality of life.
The president also remarked that both Nicaragua and Taiwan are situated in areas that experience frequent earthquakes. In addition, he expressed concern and conveyed his condolences in the wake of recent floods in Nicaragua caused by torrential rains. To strengthen Nicaragua's ability to monitor earthquakes and flood disasters, the ROC and Nicaragua are implementing a cooperative Geographic Information Systems (GIS) project, with the ROC's FORMOSAT-2 satellite providing the Nicaraguan government with satellite images of disaster areas so they can immediately implement emergency response measures. The ROC, he said, will also transfer technology to Nicaragua from National Central University's Center for Space and Remote Sensing Research to allow real-time analysis of satellite imagery and the shifting of land to assist that nation in responding to natural disasters.
In a couple of days Nicaragua will commemorate the 36th anniversary of the Sandinista Revolution. President Ma extended his best wishes to Nicaragua on behalf of the government and people of the ROC, and expressed hope for a long-lasting friendship between the two countries.