Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (
While reiterating his policy of resuming negotiations with China based on the "1992 consensus," Ma said that cross-strait dialogue would only proceed once China has removed its missiles targeted at the nation.
"I will demand that China withdraw the missiles targeted at Taiwan, which would be a symbolic action showing China's willingness to negotiate with us peacefully," Ma said yesterday while meeting foreign reporters at KMT headquarters.
Accusing the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government of going against the interests of Taiwanese by provoking China, Ma pledged to negotiate a peace agreement and confidence-building measures with China to end hostility across the Taiwan Strait.
Asked to comment on the long-stalled arms procurement bill in the legislature, Ma said he supported a "reasonable" arms bill and budget amounting to 3 percent of GDP, while expressing confidence in China's willingness to negotiate with Taiwan on a peaceful cross-strait relationship.
"My policy is bilateral, not unilateral. It's a two-way street. Comprehensively normalizing our relations with China would be beneficial to both sides," Ma said.
"As China becomes more affluent and stronger, I think it is growing more careful in handling international relations. ... It has a lot to lose if it were to start a war with Taiwan," he added.
Ma said Taiwan should take advantage of China's economic growth to revive its own economy, and vowed to establish air and sea links with China and remove the investment limits on Taiwanese companies in China if elected.
Ma said that his DPP rival in the presidential race, Frank Hsieh (謝長廷), was using the issue of Taiwanese identity to arouse the emotions of voters.
The former KMT chairman said that he would lead the nation in a rational and realistic manner.
"I don't want Taiwan to rock the regional boat. We will be a responsible stakeholder, not a troublemaker," he said.
While stressing a positive cross-strait relationship, Ma condemned China for limiting Taiwan's international space, and said that he would negotiate with Beijing on giving Taiwan more international recognition.
"We will explore the possibility of a diplomatic ceasefire with China. China doesn't need any more allies to show that it is internationally recognized," he said.
When asked about the friendly gestures he has made to China, Ma denied being Beijing's preferred candidate, but declined to comment on whether he would push for unification with China if it were to become a democratic country.
Also see story:
Editorial: Ma remains a walking contradiction
The brilliant blue waters, thick foliage and bucolic atmosphere on this seemingly idyllic archipelago deep in the Pacific Ocean belie the key role it now plays in a titanic geopolitical struggle. Palau is again on the front line as China, and the US and its allies prepare their forces in an intensifying contest for control over the Asia-Pacific region. The democratic nation of just 17,000 people hosts US-controlled airstrips and soon-to-be-completed radar installations that the US military describes as “critical” to monitoring vast swathes of water and airspace. It is also a key piece of the second island chain, a string of
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake that struck about 33km off the coast of Hualien City was the "main shock" in a series of quakes in the area, with aftershocks expected over the next three days, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Prior to the magnitude 5.9 quake shaking most of Taiwan at 6:53pm yesterday, six other earthquakes stronger than a magnitude of 4, starting with a magnitude 5.5 quake at 6:09pm, occurred in the area. CWA Seismological Center Director Wu Chien-fu (吳健富) confirmed that the quakes were all part of the same series and that the magnitude 5.5 temblor was
Taiwan will now have four additional national holidays after the Legislative Yuan passed an amendment today, which also made Labor Day a national holiday for all sectors. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) used their majority in the Legislative Yuan to pass the amendment to the Act on Implementing Memorial Days and State Holidays (紀念日及節日實施辦法), which the parties jointly proposed, in its third and final reading today. The legislature passed the bill to amend the act, which is currently enforced administratively, raising it to the legal level. The new legislation recognizes Confucius’ birthday on Sept. 28, the
The Central Weather Administration has issued a heat alert for southeastern Taiwan, warning of temperatures as high as 36°C today, while alerting some coastal areas of strong winds later in the day. Kaohsiung’s Neimen District (內門) and Pingtung County’s Neipu Township (內埔) are under an orange heat alert, which warns of temperatures as high as 36°C for three consecutive days, the CWA said, citing southwest winds. The heat would also extend to Tainan’s Nansi (楠西) and Yujing (玉井) districts, as well as Pingtung’s Gaoshu (高樹), Yanpu (鹽埔) and Majia (瑪家) townships, it said, forecasting highs of up to 36°C in those areas
RSS