Premier Sean Chen said today that President Ma Ying-jeou had congratulated U.S. President Barack Obama on his re-election and expressed confidence about the next four years of ROC-U.S. relations. The relationship between the two countries became closer during President Obama's first term, Chen said, as there have been strong mutual trust, exchange on many levels, and robust dialogue and cooperation.
Chen said that while President Obama faces a sluggish economy and continuing high unemployment, if his economic measures such as a loose monetary policy and the promotion of the return of outsourced work to the U.S., reindustrialization, and the doubling of exports continue, the economy and employment will gradually recover. Because the ROC-U.S. economic relationship is so close, a stable American economic recovery would drive Taiwanese economic development as well, he added.
Obama's campaign platform emphasized that the United States must revitalize the manufacturing sector, encouraging entrepreneurs to bring jobs back home and stimulating the country's import-export trade. In his second term, Obama is expected to promote fiscally sound policies beneficial to stable long-term growth, and as the U.S. is Taiwan's third-largest trading partner, this should also contribute to Taiwanese economic development, the premier said.
The United States is Taiwan's biggest source of foreign investment and technology, Chen noted. He hopes Taipei and Washington will build on the good foundation of their relationship and the current positive atmosphere to continue promoting related economic and trade cooperation between industries of the two countries, restart Trade and Investment Framework Agreement talks as soon as possible and strengthen communication channels.