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Ma reiterates vow to open cross-strait transport if elected

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday reiterated his pledge to forge direct transport links between Taiwan and China if elected next year.

Ma made the remarks while meeting representatives from companies at Hsinchu Science Park, including United Microelectronics Corp, Delta Electronics Inc and Prime Optical Fiber Corp.

He also said that the cap on China-bound investment should be relaxed.

China-bound investment is capped at 40 percent of a company's net worth.

At a meeting on Saturday, also with businesspeople, Ma vowed to begin work toward establishing direct shipping and air links across the Taiwan Strait immediately upon assuming office if elected in March.

Ma said connections would begin with weekend charter flights and expanded shipping between Kinmen and Matsu and three ports in China's Fujian Province.

After this, Ma said he would open full transport links between Taiwan and China, adding that this would occur within one year of his inauguration if elected.

Ma said that designating shipping and air travel with China as "special cross-strait" routes would avoid any political implications.

"Regardless of whether they are called domestic or international routes, the objective is to serve the many Taiwanese businessmen traveling between the two," he said.

In addition to direct transportation, Ma said he would remove restrictions on financial investment in China and seek investment pacts with Beijing protecting the business interests of Taiwanese in China.

Ma said that he and running mate Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) were "an honest pair" that would not renege on their promises.

Ma said he believed the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) would not open transport links with China if it retained the presidency.

Although the DPP has been in power for more than seven years, it has failed to live up to its promise to open direct transport links, he said.

DPP presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) said separately on Saturday that he would seek direct transportation and shipping if elected next year.
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