President Ma Ying-jeou met with Mr. Edwin J. Feulner, President of The Heritage Foundation, an American think tank, at the Presidential Office on the afternoon of October 13. The president expressed a cordial welcome and appreciation on behalf of the government and people of the ROC (Taiwan) to Mr. Feulner on his visit here.
The president commented that Mr. Feulner and the ROC have a close friendship that dates back several decades. The Heritage Foundation has an illustrious history, he said, and is highly influential in the setting of American policy. The president remarked that the organization also has a long history of cooperative ties with the ROC.
President Ma said that since taking office last year, the government has not only improved relations with mainland China, but also has strengthened contact with American think tanks. Mutual trust has been re-established between Taiwan and the United States, he said. President Ma added that now marks the best period in the trilateral relationship between Taiwan, the United States and mainland China in the past 60 years. The Heritage Foundation is one of many American scholarly organizations that have applauded these developments. While many problems still need to be addressed between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, we will continue to strengthen and improve ties with the United States and mainland China, President Ma said, adding that the objective is to stabilize the situation in the Taiwan Strait to a degree that is acceptable to all parties.
President Ma stated that when he won the presidential election in March last year, the then US President George W. Bush sent him a congratulatory message. Four days later, former President Bush spoke with mainland China President Hu Jintao over the telephone. During the conversation, President Hu remarked that both sides of the Taiwan Strait recognize that there is only one China, but define the term differently. This marked the first time that a mainland Chinese leader expressed the viewpoint of "one China, respective interpretations" to a US president. President Ma said that this stance has played an enormous role in helping to improve cross-strait relations.
The president also remarked that in October of last year the US administration notified Congress of its approval to sell arms worth US$6.4 billion to Taiwan to help the nation enhance its defensive capabilities. President Ma said that since assuming the presidency he has led delegations to allies in Latin America on three occasions. In each instance, Taiwan and the United States have reached a constructive consensus, and each time he was able to safely and conveniently transit through the United States. President Ma also noted that the United States has provided assistance on many fronts in enabling Taiwan to return to the World Health Organization and participate in the World Health Assembly. Furthermore, the ROC (Taiwan) and the United States are presently engaged in negotiations on a variety of cooperative issues. Taiwan, he said, is interested in signing an extradition treaty with the United States, hopes to join the US visa waiver program, and desires to sign a free trade agreement with the United States. The two sides are also engaging in discussions on the liberalization of US beef imports here. The president said he hopes that both sides can gradually complete talks on all of these issues.
The guests expressed their appreciation to President Ma for taking time out of his busy schedule to meet with them. They also said that The Heritage Foundation pays extremely close attention to political and economic developments in Taiwan. They said that the opportunity to exchange a broad range of opinions with related organizations on this visit will aid the United States in further understanding the present state of affairs here.