President Ma Ying-jeou met on the afternoon of May 8 with Luis Antonio Gokim Cardinal Tagle, President of Caritas Internationalis and Archbishop of Manila. President Ma extended his guest a warm welcome and briefed him on the state of the ROC's exchanges and cooperation in recent years with the Vatican and Catholic charities. The president also spoke about successes achieved by Taiwan in its effort to act in the international community as a provider of humanitarian aid and peacemaker.
In remarks, President Ma noted that Cardinal Tagle was in Taiwan to attend a conference of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences Office of Theological Concerns as well as a mass on May 4 to mark the close of an exhibit at the Holy Family Church Taipei. He also visited the National Palace Museum (NPM) to see Treasures from Heaven—A Special Exhibition of Artifacts from the Holy See, a joint exhibition by the Vatican and the NPM. This exhibit includes 60 sets of precious items provided by the Vatican, and marks the first time that the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff has held a major overseas exhibition. It also constitutes a major milestone in the history of cultural and religious exchanges between the ROC and the Vatican.
Commenting on ROC-Vatican relations, President Ma pointed out that official diplomatic ties between the two sides have now entered their 74th year, an indication of just how friendly and close the relationship is. When the president and his wife Chow Mei-ching (周美青) attended the inauguration of Pope Francis in 2013, it was the first time ever that an ROC head of state had attended a papal inauguration. Vice President Wu Den-yih and Minister of Foreign Affairs David Y. L. Lin (林永樂) also separately attended major events in 2014 at the Vatican, where each was accorded a very warm reception. And since late 2015 Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, head of the Pontifical Council for the Family, Archbishop Piero Marini, and representatives from the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue and the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace have visited Taiwan. Quite clearly, said the president, bilateral ties are very strong.
President Ma noted that each year on January 1 the pope issues a message to mark the World Day of Peace and call upon the world to create a culture of love, compassion, and humanity. The president said that when he worked at the Office of the President over 30 years ago, he had seen the message, was deeply impressed by the efforts of successive popes to promote world peace, and came to a keen appreciation for the importance of peace.
The president also mentioned that the Catholic Church in Taiwan has established 16 hospitals, over 300 educational institutions, and 123 charity organizations, all of which play key community service roles. The ROC government, out of gratitude to foreign missionaries for their many years of service in Taiwan, in June of 2011 launched the Mackay Program, under which foreign clergy members aged 65 or older are eligible to receive the same benefits enjoyed by ROC senior citizens. And last December, President Ma conferred the Order of Brilliant Star with Violet Grand Cordon on 12 foreign clergy members in Taiwan in recognition of their long years of selfless service.
The president then turned to the subject of Taiwan-Philippine relations. Regarding economic and trade ties, the president pointed out that Taiwan is currently the seventh-largest trading partner of the Philippines, and the 11th-largest source of foreign direct investment there. As for tourism, more than 180,000 Taiwanese tourists visited the Philippines in 2015, while some 140,000 Philippine tourists came to Taiwan. In the meantime, over 120,000 Philippine citizens working in Taiwan provide an indispensable source of factory labor and homecare services. Then November of last year saw the signing of the Agreement Concerning the Facilitation of Cooperation on Law Enforcement in Fisheries Matters, a milestone achievement that has improved bilateral relations, greatly reduced the number of fisheries disputes, and been a significant force for regional peace and stability.
Also included among the visitors were Charge d'Affaires a.i. Monsignor Sladan Cosic of the Apostolic Nunciature to the ROC, John Hung Shan-chuan (洪山川, Archbishop of Taipei and president of the Chinese Regional Bishop's Conference), and Resident Representative of the Philippines to Taiwan Antonio Basilio.