Commenting on the ROC's cross-strait policy, the president stated that he has strived to improve cross-strait relations since taking office in 2008 and promoted a "viable diplomacy" policy, and the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have stopped undermining each other in the diplomatic arena, thereby expanding Taiwan's ability to participate in the international community. Over the past seven years, President Ma noted, the two sides have signed 21 agreements and have reached consensus on two issues that encompass economic, trade, transportation, healthcare, and mutual judicial assistance issues. Prior to President Ma's term of office, mainland Chinese made about 200,000 visits to Taiwan each year, whereas 14 million visits have been made over the past seven years, including nearly four million last year alone. In addition, the number of mainland students studying in Taiwan jumped from 823 when he took office to 32,000 last year, a 40-fold increase. All of these developments indicate that cross-strait relations are the most stable and peaceful they have been in the past 66 years, said the president.
President Ma then noted that the international community has affirmed and encouraged the peaceful interaction between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. The ROC also enjoys stable friendships with its diplomatic allies. Furthermore, the number of countries and areas that provide visa-free courtesies or landing visas to ROC nationals has considerably increased. In the twenty years prior to his first inauguration, there were never more than 54, whereas there are now 142. In addition, after an absence of 38 years, since 2009 Taiwan has participated in the World Health Assembly for seven consecutive years, and in 2013 attended the assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization for the first time in 42 years. All of these examples show that Taiwan's relations with both the international community and mainland China have been transformed from a vicious cycle into a virtuous cycle.
The president told those in attendance that the ROC is pursuing peace in the Taiwan Strait with the hope of extending that peace to the East China Sea and the South China Sea. He therefore unveiled his East China Sea Peace Initiative in 2012, proposing that although sovereignty over national territory cannot be compromised, natural resources can be shared. Eight months later Taiwan and Japan signed a fisheries agreement, fully implementing the concept underlying that initiative. In that accord, Taiwan did not cede one inch on its claim of sovereignty, while fishermen's catches have significantly increased.
【Source: Office of the President】