President Ma Ying-jeou held a reception at 5:50 p.m. on July 15 Nicaragua time (7:50 a.m. July 16 Taipei time) for members of the travelling press corps accompanying him on his visit to the ROC's Latin American allies, codenamed Forever Rising Project. At the reception the president responded to questions by journalists about the trip's achievements, the ROC's foreign aid policy, and disputes in the East China Sea and the South China Sea.
In discussing the achievements of this trip, President Ma said that he was invited to deliver an address before a joint meeting of the Dominican Republic's Senate and Chamber of Deputies, and that he also held discussions with the Dominican government about ways to deepen bilateral cooperation projects in the future. Next, he noted that during his meeting with Haitian President Michel Joseph Martelly, he suggested that the ROC's experience in promoting vocational training projects could serve as a valuable reference for Haiti in their efforts to cultivate talent.
President Ma mentioned that quite a few senior diplomats have told him that the ROC's foreign assistance program is different now than it was in the past. The biggest difference, they say, is that diplomats can now maintain their dignity. "There is backbone in our policy and we do what we should be doing," he said. The president emphasized that the government embraces a policy of "seeking proper goals, acting lawfully, and exercising effective administration" in carrying out its foreign aid agenda. "It's not that we won't spend money. We will still spend. But we will spend it in the right place and on the right projects," he stated.
Regarding his transit stop in the United States, President Ma mentioned that the stopover was quite fruitful, as he met with not only scholars from Harvard University, but also several renowned academics from Washington D.C. and New York who specialize in cross-strait relations.
The president then responded to a question about disputes in the East China Sea and the South China Sea. He said that a German scholar previously commented that given the historical and cultural background of East Asia, the chance that territorial disputes in the region could be resolved through legal channels are miniscule. President Ma stated that he introduced the East China Sea Peace Initiative and the South China Sea Peace Initiative with the hope of resolving disputes through negotiations that focus on the sharing of resources. The president pointed out that the signing of a fisheries agreement between Taiwan and Japan immediately resolved a fishing dispute centering on waters around the Diaoyutai Islets. The agreement has worked quite well over the past two years and the United States, Europe, and Australia have recognized its success. Meanwhile, although the dispute in the South China Sea is more complicated, adopting a similar principle perhaps could also yield success, the president said.
President Ma believes that reconciliation between Taiwan and mainland China has promoted peace in the Taiwan Strait. The East China Sea Peace Initiative has resolved the fishing dispute between Taiwan and Japan, and if these principles can be extended to the South China Sea, the ROC has an opportunity to resolve disputes via peaceful means in all three major bodies of water, he remarked.
The president stressed that the peaceful resolution of disputes is a universal value and corresponds to the principle that "there are no victors in war, and no losers in peace." If this principle can be turned into reality, he is confident that it will be a positive force in forging peace in the region.