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Ma meets novelist Chung Chao-cheng to discuss politics

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said yesterday that the majority of Taiwanese support maintaining the Republic of China (ROC), which he said was in the best interests of the nation.

Ma traveled to Longtan (龍潭), Taoyuan County, yesterday to pay a visit to 82-year-old Hakka novelist Chung Chao-cheng (鍾肇政) at his home, where the writer questioned Ma on his ideal of "ultimate unification across the Taiwan Strait."

Ma said that he believed it was not an opportune time right now for Taiwan to talk about independence or unification with China, adding that "maintaining the status quo of the ROC" was what most Taiwanese wanted.

He said that economic issues, social problems and education were much more pressing than the question of independence or unification.

Chung, a prominent Taiwanese literary figure, said Ma's discourse about democracy and the people's will was "acceptable."

When asked by the press whether he had visited Chung as a campaigning strategy, Ma said he had visited the writer before as Taipei mayor, adding that he had read Chung's books since he was a child.

"It would not be right exclude Chung from my Taoyuan itinerary," Ma said.

For his part, Chung said that some people had suggested he not meet Ma, but that had not affected his decision to meet him, as he wanted a chance to learn about Ma's thoughts on independence.

Chung said he asked Ma to remain consistent in his stance on that issue during the campaign and after the presidential election.

Meanwhile, KMT vice presidential candidate Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) arrived in San Francisco on Saturday from Washington -- ending the first leg of his 12-day visit to North America.

Siew was greeted at the airport by Mark Liao (廖偉平), director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco, and hundreds of Taiwanese expatriates.

Describing his just-concluded three-day visit to the US capital as "satisfactory," Siew told reporters that he could tell that the US had big expectations for Taiwan and was eager to maintain the traditionally cordial ties between the two countries.

Siew said he believed that Taiwan-US relations were problematic now, but would become friendly again and strengthen if the KMT wins the March 22 presidential election.

While in Washington, Siew visited Congress and met with 18 senators and 24 representatives to discuss political views.

Siew said he believed his visit to Washington would help improve the US' impression of the KMT.

Siew is slated to stay in San Francisco for three days, where he will attend a flag raising ceremony on Double Ten National Day with Taiwanese expatriates. He will also call on high-tech companies and businessmen in California to meet to discuss the best measures to expand Taiwan's economy.

Siew, accompanied by former ambassador to the Dominican Republic John Feng (馮寄台) and several other KMT politicians, will proceed to Canada after wrapping up his visit in the US.
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