The president stressed that since taking office he has strived to improve Taiwan's relations with mainland China. To date, the two parties have signed 21 agreements, and nearly eight million visitors from the two sides cross the Taiwan Strait each year. Trade between the two sides, including Hong Kong, presently exceeds US$160 billion. In terms of stability and frequency, economic and cultural interaction between Taiwan and mainland China has also reached its highest levels in 65 years. The heads of the agencies from each side responsible for cross-strait affairs have also met three times over the past year, in Taipei, Nanjing, and Beijing, referring to each other by their official titles, a testament to the normalization of relations between the two sides. Even more important, President Ma said, is that in the past mainland China fiercely opposed the ROC’s participation in the international community. Over the past seven years, however, cross-strait relations have improved and the government here has adopted appropriate measures, enabling Taiwan to participate in the World Health Assembly for six consecutive years. He also mentioned that Taiwan attended the International Civil Aviation Organization assembly in 2013 after an absence of 42 years.
【Source: Office of the President】