ROC President Ma Ying-jeou met Dec. 2 with Rajiv Shah, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, emphasizing the importance of foreign aid in promoting good international relations.
Shah is the first USAID head to have visited Taiwan since 1979, when the U.S. severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan. His position is equal to that of the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, according to the ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During his meeting with Shah, Ma stressed that since he came to power in 2008, foreign aid provided by Taiwan has always followed three principles: “The aid must have a just purpose, it must follow legal procedure, and its plans must be carried out effectively.”
Ma also told his guest that Taiwan is immensely grateful to the U.S. for the US$1.5 billion in foreign aid it provided to Taiwan between 1950 and 1965.
In addition, he added, the ROC is thankful to the U.S. for sending military-use helicopters to Taiwan to help with relief efforts in the aftermath of Typhoon Morakot in 2009.
“Taiwan is one of the few nations to have made the transition from being a country that receives foreign aid to one that provides it,” Ma noted.
During the last 40 years, he said, Taiwan has helped many African countries develop agricultural technologies.
The people of Taiwan are generous as well, the president said, noting that Taiwanese gave more than US$200 million in foreign aid to Japan after it was devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
Founded in 1961, USAID is “the first U.S. foreign assistance organization whose primary emphasis was on long-range economic and social development assistance to foreign countries,” according to the agency’s website. (HZW)
Write to Grace Kuo at morningk@mail.gio.gov.tw