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MAC sidesteps issue of Ma meeting Hu

The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday sidestepped the issue of a possible meeting between President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao (胡錦濤), saying the existing model for high-level cross-strait talks offered the best communication channel and has produced solid results.

Saying Ma has made it clear that it was premature to talk about the possibility of meeting Hu, MAC Deputy Minister Liu Te-shun (劉德勳) said the council had nothing to add to the president's comments.

Liu said the high-level talks that have been held between Taiwan and China since May last year have brought sound economic benefits.

The MAC deputy minister made the remarks in response to media inquiries about comments by China's Taiwan Affairs Office Director Wang Yi (王毅). The Chinese-language China Times reported that Wang had told the World Journal that it was up to Ma whether the president would visit China in the role of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman.

Ma is the sole candidate in the KMT's chairmanship election scheduled for July 26.

The KMT said yesterday that Ma has garnered more than 90,000 signatures in support of his chairmanship campaign.

Vice Legislative Speaker Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權), who doubles as the secretary-general of Ma's campaign office, said Ma would submit the signatures to party headquarters when he registers on Thursday.

Registration opens tomorrow and ends on Thursday. To be eligible for registration, Ma needs the signatures of 3 percent of registered KMT members, or 15,000 people.
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