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Better relations on Ma's agenda

By Xie Yu (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-05-21 08:16

Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou said he would continue to strengthen ties with the Chinese mainland as he marked one year in office Wednesday.

Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou speaks about his first year in office with a portrait of Sun Yat-sen, the founder of Kuomintang, in the background at a news conference in Taipei Wednesday. [Agencies]

"Taiwan's new journey has just begun but it makes me proud to stand here before you and say with great certainty that this journey has started on the right path," Ma said in English at a news conference with members of the foreign press.

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It follows the recent signing of nine historic agreements on the areas such as economic cooperation between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, including the creation of a direct air link.

Wu Nengyuan, director of the Fujian-based Institute of Taiwan Studies, said Ma's comments show he will continue to push forward with a pro-mainland policy.

"The latest opinion polls on the island show Ma's support is climbing as his rapprochement with the Chinese mainland is bringing practical benefits to Taiwan people," he said.

Ma said that during his term as "president" his administration's policies would be based on "no reunification, no independence and no use of force".

He would not rule out initiating peace talks or discussing military issues with Beijing but said a precondition for such talks would be the removal or dismantling of missiles targeting Taiwan.

Ma and the ruling Kuomintang have adopted a positive mainland policy since winning the election last May.

The two sides recently agreed to allow mainland businesses to invest in the island for the first time in six decades.

Last December, three mainland banks loaned 130 billion yuan ($19 billion) to Taiwan businesses based on the mainland to help deal with the global financial turmoil.

But the Democratic Progressive Party, the island's largest opposition party, lambasted Ma's mainland policy. The pro-independence party said Ma had "dwarfed Taiwan's sovereignty".

Ma said his administration would focus on building a solid foundation of peace and prosperity with the mainland.

"What's going to be the future between Taiwan and the mainland should be decided for our part by the people of Taiwan and maybe in future generations," he said. "I don't think conditions are ripe for making a decision."

Wu said issues regarding the "removal of the missiles" could be "properly handled" when both sides began discussions about political or military issues.

"The missiles are targeting 'Taiwan independence', not Taiwan," he said.

Liu Guoshen, head of the Taiwan Institute at Xiamen University, said the Chinese mainland should have patience in dealing with the cross-Straits relationship.