PHL envoy returns to warm welcome in Taiwan

Former Senator Manuel Roxas II returned to Taipei and on Monday got a much warmer welcome from President Ma Ying-Jeou of Taiwan. Ma – whose stern face last month reflected displeasure over the Philippine government’s deportation of Taiwanese nationals to mainland China – had a smile on his face when he received Roxas, as reported by Taiwan's Central News Agency Monday night. “I’m pleased to see your government respond to our call with concrete action," Ma told Roxas, according to the CNA report. Last month, Ma demanded an apology from Roxas who visited Taiwan on President Benigno Aquino III's instructions. But this time, CNA reported Ma was happy that Manila has taken a series of measures in an attempt to resolve the rift with Taipei. The CNA quoted Ma as saying he was happy that the Philippines had implemented the consensus reached during Roxas' first fence-mending visit, including the sacking of two senior immigration officials believed to have had mishandled the deportation issue. During his meeting with Roxas Monday, Ma also said he hoped that the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) would soon strengthen contacts with Taiwan's representative office in Manila to avoid similar incidents from recurring in the future. Earlier in the day, Taiwan Foreign Minister Timothy Yang said the Philippines had agreed to forge direct dialogue channels between the DFA and Taiwan's representative office in Manila. Roxas arrived in Taipei on Sunday for a second fence-mending visit after the deportation issue had soured bilateral ties. [See: Roxas arrives in Taiwan for 2nd fence-mending mission] Ma said the Philippine government’s moves have helped minimize the dispute’s adverse impact on Taipei-Manila relations. Closer trade, economic cooperation He also said he looked forward to a quick start of negotiations on an agreement on judicial assistance and a joint crackdown on cross-border crime. “Taiwan also hopes the two sides will soon begin studying the feasibility of signing an economic partnership agreement to pave the way for closer trade and economic cooperation," Ma added. Also present at the meeting were Yang, Amadeo Perez Jr., head of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), and Antonio Basilio, head of the MECO office in Taipei. Earlier Monday, Yang and Roxas issued a joint statement in which Yang said Taipei could scrap restrictions recently imposed on Filipinos seeking to work in Taiwan now that Manila has taken steps to ease the deportation row. [See: Taiwan to scrap restrictions on OFWs] “[My] government will review its retaliatory measures and resume at an appropriate time previous criteria and procedures for screening visa applications by Filipinos intending to work in Taiwan," Yang said. – MRT/VS, GMA News