President Ma Ying-jeou met on the afternoon of November 10 with Matt Salmon, Chairman of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs' Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, thanking Chairman Salmon for his longstanding support for the ROC. The president also explained the objectives, significance, and international reaction to the meeting between the leaders of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait on November 7.
In remarks, the president stated that Chairman Salmon, who also visited the ROC in March of this year together with House Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairman Ed Royce, is one of the ROC's most important friends in the US Congress. He is not only a member of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, but also regularly undertakes substantive action to support the ROC such as introducing bills or issuing statements friendly to Taiwan, the president said.
President Ma pointed out that Chairman Salmon's abiding friendship with the ROC can be traced back to the 1970s when he was a Mormon missionary in Caotun Township in Nantou County, and the Gangshan District of Kaohsiung, where he experienced the sincere, down to earth nature of the people here and developed a deep affection for Taiwan. Consequently, after he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1995, he threw his support behind many bills that were important to Taiwan-US relations. During the 113th Session of Congress, for instance, he co-sponsored House Resolution 1151 that supports observer status for Taiwan in the International Civil Aviation Organization, and House Resolution 494 that affirms the importance of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA).
The president also commented that Chairman Salmon this year has continued to support expanded space for ROC participation in the international community, joining House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Royce and other key leaders in the House of Representatives to introduce House Resolution 1853 that supports observer status for Taiwan in the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL). On November 2 the House overwhelmingly passed that resolution, with 392 votes in favor and zero opposed. The president expressed gratitude for Chairman Salmon's numerous acts of friendship in actively supporting the ROC's meaningful participation in international organizations.
The president went on to say that since taking office in 2008 his administration has taken a "low-key, no surprises" approach to promoting the development of substantive ROC-US relations in many areas. The government's continued efforts over the past seven years have significantly enhanced the breadth and depth of bilateral cooperation in politics, economics, trade, and security. ROC-US relations, he remarked, are currently the best they have ever been since diplomatic relations were severed 36 years ago. Addressing ROC-US security cooperation, the president said the US government has continued to fulfill its security commitment to Taiwan under the provisions of the TRA and the Six Assurances, providing necessary defensive weaponry. Over the past seven years the US has thus sold the ROC over US$18.3 billion worth of arms, the highest amount in the past two decades. Turning to economic cooperation, the president noted that the first round of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, spearheaded by the US, was recently completed. Given that 35% of Taiwan's exports are absorbed by TPP members, Taiwan has high hopes to join the TPP, an important regional economic integration mechanism. The president then called on the US to continue to take substantive measures to actively help Taiwan be included in the second-round TPP negotiations, thus increasing our participation in regional economic integration.
President Ma then mentioned that cross-strait relations have improved a lot over the past seven years. Since taking office his administration has consistently sought, under the framework of the ROC Constitution, to maintain the status quo, defined as "no unification, no independence, and no use of force" in the Taiwan Strait. The two sides of the Taiwan Strait also seek 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. In addition, Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) and the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) have held 11 talks at the highest level and signed 23 agreements. Since the APEC meetings in October of 2013, the ministers in charge of cross-strait affairs from both sides of the Strait have held seven formal meetings where both sides used their official titles. This indicates that Taiwan and mainland China have already institutionalized cross-strait communication channels. Cross-strait relations have moved from conflict and confrontation toward reconciliation and cooperation, the president stated, adding that they are now more stable than at any time in the past 66 years since the two sides came under separate rule.
President Ma stated that thanks to a foundation of sufficient mutual trust, he and mainland Chinese leader Xi Jinping (習近平) met in Singapore on November 7. The meeting was held in an atmosphere described by the local and international media as "unexpected but anticipated." The meeting, which went quite smoothly, marked the first time that the cross-strait leaders had met since Taiwan and mainland China came under separate rule 66 years ago. The president explained that the exchange of views by the two sides was a highly symbolic, historic milestone that attracted worldwide attention, while the specific content and conclusions about key cross-strait issues were substantive. In the three days since the conclusion of the meeting, the president said, global media have published over 550 related news reports and commentaries, which shows the considerable importance the local and international community placed on the meeting.
The president remarked that during the meeting, he explained to Mr. Xi the importance of the 1992 Consensus, which states that there is "one China," with each side having its own respective interpretation. At the same time, he explained that the ROC's interpretation would not include the terms "two Chinas," "one China and one Taiwan," or "Taiwan independence," all of which are prohibited under the Republic of China Constitution. That the two leaders were able to discuss the 1992 Consensus in this setting marked another important milestone in cross-strait relations, the president said. In addition, the two sides of the Taiwan Strait both notified the US before the meeting took place. Both before and after the meeting, the US expressed its praise and support, which shows that the trilateral ROC-US-mainland China relationship is maturing, and showing greater mutual trust. In fact, he stated, the improvement in cross-strait relations has created a "win-win-win" situation.
President Ma commented that prior to meeting Mr. Xi, the ROC premier, secretary-general to the president, and minister of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) jointly notified the Legislative Yuan president and various party caucuses. The MAC minister and the president also held press conferences to explain the meeting. President Ma said that the international press conference he convened lasted for 75 minutes and that he answered 51 questions. And following the meeting between the two leaders, he immediately held another press conference in Singapore that lasted for 32 minutes, during which he explained in detail the results of the meeting and answered 14 questions. "Our level of openness and transparency was on a par with any important international meeting," the president stated.
President Ma also mentioned that following the meeting he met with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who had high praise for the meeting and recognized what an important breakthrough the meeting was in the development of cross-strait relations. Prime Minister Lee's father, founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, helped facilitate the first meeting 22 years ago between former Chairman of Taiwan's SEF Koo Chen-fu (辜振甫) and former Chairman of mainland Chinese ARATS Wang Daohan (汪道涵), where four agreements were signed. Both Lees have thus played an important role in promoting the peaceful development of cross-strait ties, said President Ma.
The president stressed that the ROC has made every effort to play the role of peacemaker in the Taiwan Strait and the region. In 2012 Japan's nationalization of the Diaoyutai Islands escalated tensions in the East China Sea. On August 5 of the same year, President Ma proposed the East China Sea Peace Initiative, rooted in the idea that "although sovereignty over national territory cannot be compromised, natural resources can be shared." That initiative calls on all parties to replace antagonism with dialogue and resolve disputes in the East China Sea by peaceful means. The Japanese government responded positively to the proposed peace initiative, and signed a fisheries agreement with Taiwan in 2013, putting an end to a 40-year old bilateral fisheries dispute. This, the president commented, achieved the goal of "not ceding an inch on sovereignty, but making great progress in terms of fishing rights."
President Ma then made a point to express his gratitude to Chairman Salmon for publicly supporting the East China Sea Peace Initiative numerous times at Congressional hearings and seminars held by think tanks in Washington D.C. He also submitted an article to the Washington Times supporting the ROC, said the president. The ROC subsequently proposed the South China Sea Peace Initiative in this past May. That proposal extends the concepts at the heart of the East China Sea Peace Initiative to the South China Sea, hoping to turn the latter into a "sea of peace and cooperation" like the East China Sea. Looking ahead, the president expressed hope that the concerted efforts of all parties concerned will create a haven of peace encompassing the Taiwan Strait, the East China Sea, and the South China Sea.
Chairman Salmon also offered remarks, congratulating the president on the tremendous improvement in cross-strait relations during his term of office. Chairman Salmon believes that the warming in cross-strait relations has been an incredibly important positive influence for peace not only for Taiwan, but for the US and the world.
Chairman Salmon went on to emphasize that President Ma met with mainland Chinese leader as an equal, and that was important. President Ma was also quite transparent in his dialogue with global media outlets. Addressing Taiwan-US relations, Chairman Salmon said that in 1979 the US formally severed diplomatic relations with the ROC, but he believes that "a true friendship can withstand all tests" and that in the future, ROC-US ties will become even stronger, and that the bilateral friendship will endure over time.