The agreements that have been signed between Taiwan and China can be seen as “peace pacts” in a broad sense, because they would not have been possible without a peaceful environment across the Taiwan Strait, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said yesterday.
Since taking office in May 2008, he has been dedicated to improving ties with China and institutionalizing the signing of cross-strait agreements, Ma said.
He made the remarks while receiving a delegation from Hong Kong charity Tung Wah Group of Hospitals at the Presidential Office.
Without a peaceful environment across the Strait, it would have been impossible to sign the agreements, Ma said.
“Although the agreements cover areas such as trade, public health and tourism, they are all basically agreements on peace by a broad definition,” he said.
Meanwhile, as ties between Taiwan and China have improved, relations between Taiwan and Hong Kong have also advanced, Ma said.
Noteworthy progress in the development of Taiwan-Hong Kong ties include the 2010 establishment of the Taipei-headquartered Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Cooperation Council and the Hong Kong-Taiwan Economic and Cultural Cooperation and Promotion Council, which serve as a mechanism for bilateral communication and have held five meetings so far, he added.
In July 2011, Taiwan’s representative office in Hong Kong, formerly known as the Chung Hwa Travel Service, was renamed the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Hong Kong, in line with its actual status and duties.
Later that year, Hong Kong also established a representative office in Taiwan — the Hong Kong Economic, Trade and Cultural Office.
Taiwan and Hong Kong have long conducted close exchanges over the years, but there have been many restrictions on official contacts between the two sides, Ma said.
However, now the restrictions have gradually been eased, he added.
To further improve bilateral cooperation, Taiwan and Hong Kong have been working to sign agreements on the avoidance of double taxation in maritime transport, on technology cooperation, combating crime, and making cultural and creative exchanges, the president said.
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