President Ma Ying-jeou met with Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes, President of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, at Fu Jen Catholic University during the noon hour on September 11. Cardinal Cordes led four other cardinals and over 60 archbishops from the Asian region to Taiwan to attend the 2009 Spiritual Exercises for the leaders of the church's charitable organizations in Asia, and to pray for the victims of the disaster caused by Typhoon Morakot. President Ma expressed a warm welcome and appreciation to Cardinal Cordes.
President Ma said this is a rare opportunity to receive good wishes personally from the Holy See, and he also expressed his hopes to continue to strengthen cooperation with the Vatican in the future.
Cardinal Cordes said he was extremely appreciative of the assistance provided by many people in staging the regional conference on humanitarian assistance. Cardinal Cordes mentioned that he comes from East Germany and that this visit to Taiwan for the conference has stirred up many feelings in him. He said he believes that it is quite necessary to provide support for a nation that is facing various pressures externally.
President Ma responded that Taiwan and mainland China have a long history of conflict and hostility. He said that upon assuming office, he decided to improve the state of cross-strait relations. Among the measures adopted included liberalizing direct aviation ties between the two sides, as well as welcoming tourists from mainland China to Taiwan so they can sense the warmth and hospitality of the Taiwan people. These initiatives have helped generate prospects for peace and prosperity between the two sides, he said.
The president also said the ROC Ambassador to the Holy See Larry Yu-yuan Wang told him that the Pope wholeheartedly welcomes the current developments between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. This stance provides enormous encouragement to us, he said. President Ma also remarked that in the past he studied relations between the two Germanys in the 20th century, adding that he deeply admires the Basic Treaty signed between the two Germanys in 1972. While we may not be able to sign a similar agreement with mainland China at this point, we can, however, continue to work with this spirit in mind, he said.