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Press Release

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater Transportation Policy Mission Departure Statement June 16, 2000 Taipei, Taiwan

I want to express my appreciation to the people of Taiwan for their hospitality during this important week. I enjoyed seeing for the first time this beautiful area of the world and was fascinated with Taiwan's impressive social, economic and political development. I also want to thank the US-ROC and ROC-USA Business Councils for giving me the opportunity to address their 24th annual business conference.

During my visit, I had the honor of meeting with President Chen and Taiwan leaders. At this insightful gathering and throughout the week, I reaffirmed the commitment of President Clinton and the American people to our friendship with the people of Taiwan. At all the events this week, I was most impressed with the enthusiastic and dynamic interchange between the U.S and Taiwan business communities. I am confident this is a relationship that will continue throughout the new century and new millennium.

In the transportation sector, in particular, we look forward to continuing to support Taiwan's efforts to liberalize its airlines industry and telecommunications sector. It was agreed amongst all that foreign investment will be key to Taiwan's continued growth in the 21st century.

We will continue to work with Taiwan to further open its economy by promoting greater transparency and international competitiveness. We also want to do what we can to encourage continued opening in the telecommunications sector, improvement of intellectual property rights, gains in government procurement procedures, strengthened supervision and regulation of the banking sector, as well as speedier privatization.

As I discussed in my meetings here, transportation is "the tie that binds" people and communities; without transportation, there can be no trade. As the world's third largest manufacturer of information technology products and home to world-class computer and information technology industries, Taiwan shares with the United States a vital interest in expanding and strengthening the ties of international transportation.

Before we leave, I want to remind business leaders to attend the International Transportation Symposium hosted by the U.S. Department of Transportation this fall. Your input would be invaluable.

Thank you once again to the people of Taiwan for their generous and warm reception. I am confident our visit together has contributed to a strengthening of the economic and cultural ties between our peoples.

Thank you very much.