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Chiang aims for win-win situation across the Strait

By Ko Shu-ling
STAFF REPORTER
Tuesday, Jul 22, 2008, Page 3

Taiwan has a great opportunity to improve cross-strait relations, and the opportunity will quickly pass if both sides do not take advantage of it, Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤) said yesterday.

The government would like to see a win-win situation created on the economic front and sustainable peace across the Taiwan Strait, he said.

To that end, a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement would prevent Taiwan from being marginalized economically, and the normalization of cross-strait trade would help create such a positive situation, he said.

In pursuing cross-strait peace, he said both sides must sign a peace agreement and establish a military mutual trust mechanism to establish a framework that can be developed upon.

Chiang made the remarks while addressing the Presidential Office’s monthly meeting for top government officials and civil servants.

At a different setting yesterday, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) praised joint oil exploration between Japan and China, saying that joint development and resource sharing is the best way for countries with similar problems to find solutions.

Calling the agreement signed between Tokyo and Beijing to jointly explore oil reserves in the East China Sea an “outstanding achievement,” Ma said that about 40 years ago, European countries were fighting over oil reserves in the North Sea. However, they reached an agreement in the 1970s and decided to jointly develop the resources. Years later, Brent North Sea crude has become one of the most important brands in the global oil market, he said.

“It teaches us the lesson that the best way to solve a problem is through joint development and resource sharing,” he told a Japanese delegation attending this year’s Taiwan-Japan Forum.

Ma said that cross-strait relations have seen significant change since he took office. Previous conflicts and tension had been reconciled and there would be peace and prosperity, he said.

When tensions between both sides are reduced, Japan would no longer need to make a tough choice between Taiwan and China, and could instead maintain sound relations with both sides, Ma said.
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