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Ma vows more cross-strait results

President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) vowed yesterday to continue improving cross-strait relations and said that “concrete results” are expected on opening direct cargo flights and shipping links with China in a few months.

“As Taiwan steadily improves its relations with China ... I believe that in the next few months there will be concrete results from these efforts,” Ma said while meeting John Hambre, the president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, at the Presidential Office.

Ma said the country would continue cross-strait negotiations with China regarding various issues including Taiwan’s international participation, but added that the government would put Taiwanese interests and dignity as priorities while proceeding with the negotiations.

“Although the opposition party has been criticizing us [for improving relations with China], so far the government never damaged Taiwan’s dignity,” he said. “Instead, we got more friends than we had before.”

Taiwanese officials have said the two sides were scheduled to hold a second round of talks in Taipei later this month or early next month, and that China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) Chairman Chen Yunlin’s (陳雲林) was scheduled to attend, although the date has not been set yet.

The Democratic Progressive Party, a fierce critic of Ma’s China policy, has vowed to stage mass rallies should Chen set foot in Taiwan.

Ma yesterday said cross-strait relations are improving slowly but steadily under his administration, and the government would continue such efforts.

At the same setting, he also reiterated his appreciation for the US government’s approval of nearly US$6.5 billion in arms sales to Taiwan earlier this month.

The administration of US President George W Bush notified the US Congress last week about the sale of six major packages of weaponry to Taiwan, ending the nearly year-long freeze on arms sales to Taiwan.

“The approval not only represents the US’ support for our policy of improving cross-strait ties while still maintaining proper security relations with the US. It also represents the US’ willingness to gradually rebuild mutual trust that has seriously deteriorated over the past eight years,” Ma said, promising to defend the country’s sovereignty and security while rebuilding trust between Taiwan and the US.
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