Later this month, Republic of China President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) will be inaugurated for his second consecutive term in office. Ma commanded 51.6 percent of the vote in the combined poll on January 14 this year, while his party, the Kuomintang, also retained control of the legislature. Every presidential inauguration is a chance to reflect on the nation’s journey during the previous term, as well as to look to the path that the victor has outlined for future development.
Major features of Ma’s first term in office have been his administration’s emphasis on improving the local economy and Taipei’s rapprochement with Beijing. In office, the president has led a step-by-step approach to cross-strait relations, so that those in Taiwan and mainland China could feel confident about developing closer links. This has been evident in the negotiation and implementation of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement signed with mainland China in 2010, the most significant agreement inked by the two sides since they split in 1949 following the Chinese Civil War. An important result of the pact and the improved relations in general is that Taiwan now enjoys closer trade and transportation links with its giant neighbor across the strait.
Taiwan has reaped more than economic benefits from such moves. The country’s efforts toward regional stability have testified to its commitment to peace. It has also boosted ties in the region and around the world. In September 2011, Taipei signed an agreement with Japan to promote trade and investment. Moves toward economic cooperation agreements with New Zealand and Singapore are also underway. An encouraging sign is that the number of countries offering visa-free entry or landing visas to Taiwanese citizens jumped from 54 at the start of Ma’s first term to 126 in January this year.
During his first term, Ma signed commitments for Taiwan to abide by two international covenants on human rights: the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The government has moved to bring domestic law in line with both covenants. The president has also called for the expansion of social welfare programs during his next term. In particular, he has said that greater assistance should be available for the underprivileged and indigenous people.
Ma’s return to office this year is a clear statement of the support given by the people of Taiwan to the continuation of his administration’s pragmatic and systematic approach to foreign affairs and economic development. Yet, questions loom over the rate and extent of growth amid global economic uncertainty. While Taiwan rode out the 2008 world recession better than many economies—it achieved 10.72 percent growth in 2010 compared with negative growth the previous year, and an estimated 4.04 percent in 2011—the recovery is far from complete. Although low compared with that of many other countries, unemployment has stubbornly remained above 4 percent, for example. The Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics has also lowered its growth forecast to 3.85 percent this year. Ma’s Golden Decade development plan is a good start for tackling such concerns, but the government must continue to keep close tabs on employment and growth. It must also work to diversify and deepen trade ties in the region and worldwide.
Characterizing his first term in office, the president has described it as a chance to “catch up with the rest of the world.” For Ma’s second term, the vision is to “remake the nation and pursue excellence.” Taiwanese backed the president in an election hailed internationally as a model of the democratic process. After Ma’s inauguration on May 20, it will be time for the president, his administration and the Taiwanese people to make that vision a reality.