President Ma Ying-jeou met on the morning of October 30 with American Veterans (AMVETS) National Commander James D. Pidgeon and Mrs. Pidgeon. In addition to briefing them on positive developments in ROC-US relations in recent years, the president also called for a deeper ROC-US bilateral relationship to foster even closer economic and trade cooperation.
After welcoming his guests to the ROC, the president noted that there are about 22 million US military veterans, and that in 2015 the US allocated US$163.9 billion to provide veterans with services such as health care, benefits, and burials and memorials. In Taiwan, to thank military veterans for protecting the nation as well as their sacrifices and devotion, they are referred to as "honored citizens." Currently numbering over 405,000, ROC veterans not only brought about Taiwan's retrocession and safeguarded the nation, but also played an important role in developing and defending the ROC. The government thus budgets the equivalent of over US$4 billion each year to provide education, employment, medical care, and geriatric services to our "honored citizens," he said. President Ma also remarked that both the ROC and the US governments acknowledge the importance of caring for veterans, and do their best to ensure veterans' well-being to thank them for their contributions.
Commenting on developments in ROC-US relations, the president stated that bilateral relations are now the best they have ever been in the 36 years since the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) was passed. Thus seven years ago, Taiwan and the US had signed 90 agreements. Today, there are 147. In an address delivered in May of this year, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Susan Thornton stressed how good Taiwan-US relations are, and referred to Taiwan as a "vital partner" of the US in East Asia. She also emphasized that "the US-Taiwan 'unofficial relationship' has never been better.… And it must be said that an important ingredient of the close cooperation in recent years has been the stable management of cross-Strait ties."
The president noted that an important indicator for close and friendly ROC-US relations is that the US in November of 2012 included Taiwan in its Visa Waiver Program (VWP), making the ROC the only nation of the 38 in the VWP that does not have formal diplomatic ties with the US.
President Ma then stated that in the past seven years the US has announced a number of arms sales to Taiwan worth a total of over US$180 billion. That is the highest total in the past 20 years, and twice what was sold during his predecessor's administration. During deliberations on the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2016 this past May, the Senate and House Armed Services Committees both invited Taiwan to participate in the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) and the Red Flag training exercises. The US government has repeatedly stressed that it is implementing the TRA and the Six Assurances, and fulfilling the US security commitment to Taiwan, said the president.
As for bilateral economic and trade relations, President Ma noted that over the past seven years Taiwan has posted an aggregate trade surplus of US$96.4 billion with the US. So Taiwan is working to balance bilateral trade, including spending US$18.3 billion acquiring defensive materiel, sending four agricultural missions that bought US$12.3 billion of US agricultural products, and placing orders for about 40 Boeing aircraft worth at least US$10 billion. In addition, the ROC has responded to the SelectUSA investment initiative by pledging some US$13.1 billion. He went on to say that Taiwan last year vaulted past India and Saudi Arabia to become the 10th largest trading partner of the US, while the US has once again outpaced Japan to become Taiwan's second largest trading partner. High-ranking economic and trade officials from the US such as Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs Charles H. Rivkin and Deputy US Trade Representative Robert Holleyman also both visited Taiwan this year, which shows that ROC-US economic and trade relations are becoming even closer.
President Ma stated that trade in goods between Taiwan and the US last year reached US$67.4 billion, which was 6.3% higher than 2013. Negotiations under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) were also resumed in March of 2013. The ninth round of TIFA negotiations was held this past October, with the two sides negotiating and exchanging opinions on the signing of a bilateral investment agreement.
The president then mentioned that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, as well as the ROC's victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan and Taiwan's retrocession. The eight-year War of Resistance was the most extensive, protracted, and far-reaching war in Chinese history. About 3.22 million ROC troops, including 268 commanding officers, lost their lives, along with more than 20 million civilians, in over 40,000 large-scale campaigns and smaller engagements.
The president noted that at that time, the Japanese military's equipment and training was far superior to the ROC's. While international public opinion generally thought that the ROC would surrender within a fairly short period, the spirit of the ROC forces of "no compromise and no surrender" allowed the ROC to ultimately emerge victorious, despite losing more battles than it won, he said. Former US President Franklin D. Roosevelt once said that one of the keys to victory in World War II was that the ROC went all out in its fight against Japan, preventing Japan and Germany from joining forces to create a unified front spanning Europe and Asia.
President Ma remarked that the ROC government has invited the descendants of many overseas compatriots and individuals from around the world who helped the ROC during the War of Resistance to come to Taiwan to take part in activities commemorating the 70th anniversary of the ROC's victory in the War of Resistance. This has allowed the government to express its sincere gratitude and respect for those individuals. Among those who have visited Taiwan this year are descendants of Major Arthur Chin (陳瑞鈿), known as "China's Warhawk," descendants of former US Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, and Dwight D. Eisenhower, and descendants of Dr. Robert O. Wilson, missionary Wilhelmina (Minnie) Vautrin, and German businessman John Rabe.
Also in the delegation was AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary National President Kathryn M. Berning.