On the possibility of meeting Chinese leaders, Ma said that while he did not reject the idea of meeting Hu, the time was not optimal for doing so as there were many more pressing matters and economic problems to deal with before both sides could move on to political issues.
Ma, who doubles as KMT chairman, said that the results of recent legislative by-elections and the irrigation association elections had been unsatisfactory, but added that the November elections of five special municipalities would be different in size and significance.
On arms procurement, Ma said the administration’s resolve to purchase F-16C/D fighter aircraft and submarines was resolute and that Taiwan must have defensive weapons to protect itself.
However, the country will not engage in an arms race with China and will instead use its resources to build a small but strong army to deter any potential military threat.
Regarding the “secret channels” with China, Ma said it was normal for two vibrant economies to have multiple communication conduits.
When it comes to the exercise of public power, he said, the Straits Exchange Foundation and its Chinese counterpart, the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait, are the only two authorized bodies.
In response, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said the president's words “rang empty” and called on him to first focus on his earlier campaign promises, including one to boost Taiwan's annual economic growth to 6 percent and lower unemployment to 3 percent.
Echoing remarks made earlier yesterday by former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), DPP spokesperson Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) said: “President Ma should have added 'slogan-governed country,' to his 'six-country platform.'”
The opposition party also said that the president's speech was overly focused on developments that worked in the interests of large corporations at the expense of environmental and other social issues.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY VINCENT Y. CHAO
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