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Ma promised quick start to cross-strait charters if elected

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) pledged yesterday to launch weekend cross-strait charter flights within one month of taking office if he wins the presidency next year.

The weekend charters would be expanded to normal cross-strait flights within one year of his inauguration, Ma said.

"The timetable was an estimation made by the airline industry. With the advancement of charter flights, negotiating with China on weekend charter flights will be easier and faster," Ma said before attending the Taipei press launch for his new book, Managing the Nation: Winning Strategies for Taiwan, in which Ma and his running mate Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) discuss their experiences and campaign policies.

Opening up direct links and relaxing regulations on investment will encourage Taiwanese businesspeople in China to repatriate their investments, he said.

Ma said he would also allow more Chinese tourists to visit Taiwan, which would help to revive the economy.

"The economy is much more important than other issues to the people. Most of them want to see a change in the political environment next year to save the economy," he said.

Citing the South Korean presidential election on Wednesday, which was won by former Seoul mayor Lee Myung-bak, Ma said that the Taiwanese would also prioritize the economy and would choose the candidates who would help to improve the economy.

For his part, Siew said Lee's victory highlighted the fact that South Koreans had denounced government corruption and "dirty tricks" campaigning.

"South Korea is moving forward and Taiwan should move forward, too. Otherwise we will be eliminated," Siew said. "South Koreans' choice of their new leader is something Taiwanese should think about."
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