Diplomacy and friendship

A true friendship is a very rare thing indeed, and thus something to be treasured and kept safe by all means possible. When a true friendship is harmed, it takes patience, good will and good intentions to heal it, and it takes courage and determination to prevent old wounds from reopening.

Taiwan and the Philippines have recently gone through some unexpected challenges, but we were eventually able to advance our relations through mutually acceptable solutions. As close neighbors, our two countries share not only a common interest in broadening economic ties but also a common belief in democracy and rule of law.

Why does Taiwan matter? This is a good question for people in all walks of life in the Philippines to think about. Over the years, Taiwan has always been one of the first to reach out a helping hand following natural disasters in the Philippines. Since 2008, Taiwan has donated more than US$7 million worth of rice to calamity victims and the underprivileged, in addition to the numerous medical missions it has sent to help Philippine humanitarian relief efforts.

We believe we should help our closest neighbor whenever possible, for better is a neighbor that is near than a brother far off. Not long after the Balintang Channel shooting incident, three Filipino fishermen on a swamped and drifting sampan were rescued by Taiwan’s Coast Guard on July 19, after going without food and water for five days. With such very close bonds between our two countries, such humanitarian actions are only natural.

Our government is host to roughly 90,000 OFWs. The diligence and high quality of Filipino labor have contributed greatly to Taiwan’s excellence in the high-tech field, which has attracted attention around the world. Taiwan is no exception to the widespread problem of an aging population, and we are very thankful for the workers who over the years have helped us to shoulder the responsibility of caring for our elders.

Filipino workers in Taiwan enjoy the same minimum wage protection and national health insurance benefits as native workers, and annually remit over US$650 million.

With regard to Manila’s One China policy, I would like to reiterate that golden opportunities for a more constructive Taiwan-Philippine relationship have arisen as a result of the improvement in cross-strait relations. Whether current practice under the Philippines’ One China policy is in its national interest and whether the policy will impede its overall development are questions that require further examination.

But one thing for sure is that while other countries may adopt similar policies, they never cease strengthening their economic ties with Taiwan and making substantive links to further maximize their national interests.

By the same token, Taiwan has its own One China policy, based on the principles of “equality, dignity, and rationality,” which has successfully led to the conclusion of 19 agreements between the two sides of the Strait, ranging from the signature Cross-Straits Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) to the Agreement on Joint Cross-Strait Crime-fighting and Mutual Judicial Assistance.

Last year, though affected by the world economic recession, bilateral trade with Mainland China still reached US$121.6 billion. Moreover, there are 670 direct flights that travel between Taiwan and the major cities of Mainland China on a weekly basis. Mainland China is currently the largest source of tourists to Taiwan, with almost 7,000 per day.

Diplomacy and friendship may be two totally different affairs, but they are both two-way streets. I strongly urge the Philippine government to continue taking a more pragmatic approach to further advance its relations with Taiwan. As a responsible stakeholder in the international community, Taiwan is ready to share its experience and the fruits of its development whenever needed, and hopes to also learn as much as possible from the Philippine experience.