President Ma Ying-jeou met on the afternoon of November 3 with a delegation led by Eddie Baza Calvo, Governor of Guam. In addition to describing the warm relations between Taiwan and Guam, the president also expressed hope that a bilateral investment agreement (BIA) will be negotiated and signed between the ROC and the US as soon as possible, and that Governor Calvo will support Taiwan's bid to participate in the second round of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) talks, creating even closer economic and trade relations between the two countries.
In remarks, the president stated that Governor Calvo visited the ROC in 2007 in his capacity as vice-speaker of the Guam Legislature, and again in 2012, the year following his election as governor. Governor Calvo was elected to another term last year, and the president extended his congratulations.
President Ma went on to say that Guam's Lieutenant Governor Ray Tenorio attended the World Freedom Day activities held in Taiwan in January of this year, organized by the ROC Chapter of the World League for Freedom and Democracy. Judith Won Pat, Speaker of the Guam Legislature, also led the Delegation of Leaders of Guam and Northern Marianas Commonwealth (CNMI) Legislatures on a visit to the ROC in June. In addition, Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo, the only representative from Guam in the US House of Representatives, visited the ROC in October to take part in the nation's Double Tenth National Day activities. This frequent interaction points to the vitality of bilateral relations, he said.
The president mentioned that on this visit to the ROC, Governor Calvo is meeting with Taiwanese factories participating in the Guam Military Buildup Program. He is also briefing firms here on the investment environment and future business opportunities in Guam. These efforts, the president said, will undoubtedly pave the way for an even stronger bilateral economic and trade relationship. He also expressed hope that Governor Calvo will actively promote the negotiation and signing of a BIA between Taiwan and the US and support Taiwan's participation in the second round TPP negotiations, which will enhance bilateral economic and trade ties.
The president then commented that back in 2009 Guam granted ROC nationals visa-free entry for stays of up to 45 days. Since 2012, following the ROC's inclusion in the US Visa Waiver Program, the number of ROC nationals visiting Guam has continued to rise, from 40,000 in 2011 to nearly 50,000 last year. China Airlines and EVA Air each operate two weekly round-trip flights to Guam, but the departure and arrival times have been late at night. Starting this past October, China Airlines added two daytime flights to Guam to its schedule. The president feels this will make it even more convenient for ROC nationals to visit Guam, and will attract more residents of Guam to visit Taiwan for tourism.
Discussing interaction in the area of arts and culture, President Ma said that the ROC's delegation of international youth ambassadors, sent to Guam in September of this year, was enthusiastically received, as were individuals from Taiwan's cultural community who attended the 5th Annual Guam International Film Festival. The Council of Indigenous Peoples is also in the process of forming a delegation to attend the 12th Festival of Pacific Arts, hosted by Guam, and the president hopes that the interaction resulting from these cultural activities will create even closer and deeper bilateral relations.
Also in the delegation were Taiwanese Business Association of Guam President Joseph Hsu (徐凱援) and Senior Adviser to the Overseas Community Affairs Council Anna Wang Kao (高王蕾).