President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) defended his pro-China policies during an interview with CNN as being in the best interests of the Taiwanese and attributed his low support ratings to the global economic recession.
The interview, conducted by CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour on Wednesday via satellite, was aired last night, with discussions focusing on relations between Taiwan, China and the US.
Asked by Amanpour to comment on worries voiced by some Taiwanese that Ma may compromise Taiwan’s sovereignty in exchange for improved relations with China, Ma said such accusations were groundless, adding that he was acting in Taiwan’s best interest.
“In the last two years, we have concluded 12 agreements with mainland China on cross-strait flights, food safety, opening Taiwan to mainland tourists and mutual judicial assistance,” Ma said. “In all these agreements, we not only viewed friendship, but solved many problems that were brought to Taiwan as a result of fast-growing trade and investment relations with the Chinese mainland.”
“All these agreements contribute to prosperity and stability in Taiwan and nothing in these agreements comprised Taiwan’s sovereignty or autonomy,” he said.
Ma said improved cross-strait ties had eased tensions between the two sides and that relations between Taiwan, the US and China were better than at any time in the last 60 years. He said that after the debate with Democratic Progressive Party Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Sunday, the public had a much better understanding of an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China, and supported it.
When asked by Amanpour to explain his low support ratings, Ma attributed it to the economic situation.
“Well, our economy is recovering, but it has not recovered to the state before the financial tsunami resulting from the US economy,” Ma said. “So we are trying to do more. And this year, the International Monetary Fund has forecast that we will have 6.5 percent growth in our GDP.”
“I’m sure, when our economy becomes better, the situation will improve as a result,” he said.
Amanpour also asked about the possibility of a meeting between Ma and Chinese Preident Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) — and if it could take place at next year’s APEC summit in Hawaii. Ma said he had no plans to meet with Hu at the moment and would not answer a hypothetical question.
“This is really very hypothetical, because, in the past, we have been unable to send high-level representatives to this APEC meeting. I don’t see any possibility in the near future that the situation will change,” Ma said.
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