President Ma Ying-jeou on the evening of September 15 attended a reception to celebrate the 190th anniversary of independence for Central America. The president, on behalf of the government and people of the ROC, extended congratulations to the ambassadors from El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Honduras, who were in attendance for the event.
The president first said "Happy Birthday" in Spanish, and then remarked that this year not only is the 190th anniversary of Central American independence, but also is the centenary of the Republic of China. He added that while the ROC and the nations of Central America are fairly young democracies, all of them embrace many of the same ideals and values. In addition, each country faced a tough road in revolution and founding, but these efforts were made for the betterment of the respective nations and their people.
President Ma quoted Confucius in saying that there are three types of friendships which are advantageous—friendship with the upright; friendship with the sincere, and friendship with the person of much observation. He said that in his over three years in office, he has visited Latin America several times. In May 2009 he held discussions with Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom Caballeros, and in June 2009 attended the inauguration of El Salvador's President Mauricio Funes. In July of that year, he met with Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega Saavedra. Then, in January 2010, the president visited Honduras to witness the inauguration of President Porfirio Lobo Sosa. During those trips, he said, he experienced the meaning of the "three types of friendship" among these leaders. He noted that under the wise and farsighted leadership of the heads of state of these nations, these countries have continued to expand cooperation and interaction with the ROC, helping to further enhance bilateral relationships.
President Ma said that over the past several decades, the state of cross-strait relations has had a strong influence on the ROC's diplomatic relationships, so he has given considerable thought to how to take the vicious cycle of confrontation and dispute, and turn it into a virtuous cycle. The president stated that after taking office in May 2008, he dropped his predecessor's "scorched earth diplomacy" and instead embraced a policy of "viable diplomacy" that focuses on being upstanding, clean, effective, and trustworthy. This stance was implemented with the intention of turning the ROC into a peacemaker, provider of humanitarian aid, promoter of cultural ties, creator of new technologies and business opportunities, and standard-bearer of Chinese culture, he said.
President Ma remarked that the government has chalked up many achievements over the past three years. He said that the cross-strait relationship and the ROC's ties with the international community have been transformed into a virtuous cycle. The alliances between the ROC and its 23 diplomatic allies are stable, while mutual trust at high levels has increased between the ROC and nations with which it doesn't maintain formal diplomatic ties. At the same time, the ROC enjoys greater participation in the international community, he remarked, pointing to Taiwan's attendance at the World Health Assembly three times, the nation becoming a party to the Agreement on Government Procurement, and invitation over the past three years for former Vice President Lien Chan (連戰) to attend the APEC summit as the ROC's representative. In addition, the president pointed out that 117 jurisdictions have provided ROC nationals with visa-free courtesies or landing visas, which highlights the increased level of friendship shown to the ROC by the international community.
President Ma stressed that the difference between a politician and a statesman is that a politician is aiming to win in the next election, while a statesman works to create wellbeing for the next generation. He said that his actions have been carried out to build Taiwan into a peaceful and prosperous place, and to enable the people of Taiwan to live and work in peace and contentment. Lastly, the president again spoke in Spanish to congratulate Central America on its 190th anniversary of independence, and he expressed his hope for a long-lasting alliance between the ROC and its allies in the region.
【Source: Office of the President】