The ROC government is seeking to boost economic ties with Japan and the U.S. while receiving greater support from these key partners for Taiwan’s participation in regional integration, said John Chen-chung Deng, National Security Council deputy secretary-general, Dec. 18.
“President Ma Ying-jeou has stated on several occasions that if Taiwan opens up to the world, the world will embrace Taiwan,” Deng said. “As we work toward creating a genuinely free and open business climate in line with international standards, we hope that Japan and the U.S. will back Taiwan playing a bigger role in the Asia-Pacific economy.”
Deng made the remarks at the opening ceremony for the ROC-U.S.-Japan Trilateral Dialogue in Taipei City. Organized by Taiwan’s Chung-hua Institution for Economic Research and U.S. think tank The Heritage Foundation, the function gathered academics and government officials to exchange views on strengthening economic cooperation and security.
Participants included Claude Barfield, former consultant to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative; Matsunaga Kazuo, special advisor to Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; Ko Shen-yeaw, ROC deputy minister of foreign affairs; Walter Lohman, director of The Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center; and Michael Martin, acting section manager of U.S. Congressional Research Service’s Asia Section, Foreign Affairs, Defense and Trade Division.
Taiwan’s relations with Japan and the U.S. have gone from strength to strength across an array of sectors since Ma took office in 2008, Deng said, also crediting this development to a shared belief in free trade and open markets, as well as ROC government efforts to improve the local business climate.
Such efforts have won global recognition, Deng said, citing Taiwan’s 16th ranking in the latest World Bank Group Ease of Doing Business assessment and 13th ranking in the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report.
But Deng said that although Taiwan is always looking to establish commerce and trade ties, such openness is not reciprocated across the board by other nations. This is why the government places a premium on building support for its drive to join regional trade pacts such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
The TPP is a proposed trade agreement comprising negotiating partners Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam and the U.S. Other nations such as Canada, Japan, Mexico and South Korea, are also looking to join discussions on the nascent pact.
Echoing Deng’s comments, Ko said he believes the forum is an important platform for Taipei, Tokyo and Washington to effectively exchange views on pressing economic and security issues.
Taiwan is ready to do more for international and regional peace, stability and economic prosperity, Ko said, adding that the inclusion of Taiwan in the TPP will help achieve this goal.
“The ROC should not be absent from, but rather play a constructive role in this newly emerging regional economic system and security cooperation mechanism.” (JSM)
Write to Rachel Chan at ccchan@mofa.gov.tw