President Ma Ying-jeou met Kin Moy, new director of the American Institute in Taiwan, June 16 at the Presidential Office in Taipei City, vowing to continue strengthening Taiwan-U.S. ties across a broad spectrum of areas.
“The low-key, surprise-free approach to bilateral relations taken by the government since I took office in May 2008 has helped take exchanges to new heights,” Ma said. “This healthy state of affairs builds upon a longstanding friendship cemented in the dark days of the Second Sino-Japanese War [1937-1945].”
According to the president, major achievements over the last seven years include Taiwan’s inclusion in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program in November 2012 and arms sales to Taipei by Washington of US$18.3 billion.
“Expanded military exchanges between the two sides are also supported by U.S. Congress, with two committees of the House of Representatives and Senate passing amendments calling for Taiwan’s participation in the Rim of the Pacific Exercise and Red Flag air combat exercise,” Ma said.
Concerning trade, Taipei and Washington resumed negotiations under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement in March 2013, the president said, a key step toward further cementing the economic partnership. “As of March this year, Taiwan is the 10th largest trading partner of the U.S., while the U.S. is Taiwan’s third largest partner.”
Ma also thanked Moy for supporting advancement of the bilateral ties during his term as deputy assistant secretary of state in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
In response, Moy said the people of the U.S. are deeply impressed by Taiwan’s achievements, adding that he hopes to deepen bilateral friendship and collaborative ties.
Moy commended the president for his efforts in promoting regional peace and stability, saying that he looks forward to further Taiwan-U.S. collaboration on advancing mutual benefits and spurring global prosperity. (SFC-JSM)
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