There is a glimpse of hope for peace between Taipei and Beijing in the Taiwan Strait, but many obstacles need to be overcome, including cultural differences and China’s military buildup, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said yesterday.
Dramatic changes have occurred in cross-strait relations over the past three years, Ma said, adding that following the signing of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) which was signed in June last year, the two sides this year had entered into an “ECFA era” in which tariffs on hundreds of traded goods and services were reduced.
The two sides also signed an agreement on intellectual property rights (IPR) protection, which allows Taiwanese films to enter the Chinese market without quota restrictions.
“However, so far no Taiwanese films have been permitted to do so,” he said.
The hit movie Monga (艋舺) for example, was banned from the Chinese market, Ma said, because Beijing considers the film to be detrimental to China’s “good” and “honest” traditions.
“We see that cultural differences between the two sides can affect many things, such as the agreement on IPR protection or exchanges of services,” he said. “There are many difficulties that we have yet to overcome. Nevertheless, we have at least seen the emergence of a peaceful atmosphere between the two sides,” Ma said.
He made the remarks during a meeting at the Presidential Office with Taiwan’s delegation to the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference, which is headed by former Control Yuan president Fredrick Chien (錢復).
“The main threat [to the nation] comes from the other side of the Taiwan Strait,” Ma said. “We must therefore be prepared for danger in times of peace.”
“That is why we still hold the annual Han Kuang military exercises so the public and the military will be better prepared,” he said.
The goal is to strengthen the nation’s defensive capabilities and deter the enemy, Ma said, adding that he wanted to build an armed forces that is small but strong, superior and skillful and can effectively defend the Taiwan Strait.
Chien told Ma he did not expect to meet Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) during the Boao Forum, as Hu was expected to attend a summit between Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC).
Chien said that while the forum in Boao, Hainan Province, China, would be held from Thursday through Saturday, Hu would be at the BRIC Summit in Beijing on Thursday and Friday.
The theme of this year’s Boao Forum, Chien said, was “inclusive development.”
In addition to participating in discussions, the Taiwanese delegation will attend five panel discussions on different topics, he said.
The business roundtable reserved for the two sides will discuss prospects for cross-strait economic cooperation after the signing of the ECFA, he said, adding that the Taiwanese delegation would work for the best interests of Taiwan on behalf of the Ma administration.
None of the members on the delegation were public officials or represented any government agency, Chien said.
Vice President Vincent Siew (蕭萬長), who led the delegation to the 2008 Boao Forum before he took the oath of office, urged the administration to treat the event with the importance it deserved, as it provided a rare opportunity for Taiwan to develop connections with the international community and brainstorm solutions for various problems.
As a non-government, non-profit international organization, the Boao Forum For Asia is a premier forum for leaders in government, business and academia in Asia and other continents to share visions on the most pressing issues in this dynamic region and the world at large.
It was initiated in 1998 by former Philippine president Fidel Ramos, former Australian prime minister Bob Hawke and former Japanese prime minister Morihiro Hosokawa, and was formerly inaugurated in February 2001.
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