President Ma Ying-jeou said Sept. 17 that the ROC government’s mainland China policy is key to the peaceful development of cross-strait relations and represents the expectations of most people in Taiwan.
“Over the past seven years, the government has maintained the status quo across the Taiwan Strait on the basis of no unification, no independence and no use of force under the framework of the ROC Constitution and 1992 consensus,” Ma said.
“This approach has seen significant headway in cross-strait ties across the board, and taken Taipei-Beijing exchanges to their most stable level in 66 years.”
The president made the remarks while hosting members of Taipei City-based nongovernmental organization Cross-Strait Public Affairs Association at the Presidential Office in Taipei City.
Since taking office in May 2008, Ma said he has worked tirelessly to improve relations between the two sides of the strait, citing major policy achievements such as commencing direct cross-strait flights and permitting mainland Chinese tourists to visit Taiwan.
“Such constructive developments have contributed to increased people-to-people exchanges, with the annual numbers of mainland Chinese tourists and students visiting Taiwan last year nearing 4 million and 33,000, respectively,” he said, adding that such results are far better than expected.
This healthy state of affairs, along with the government’s low-key, surprise-free approach to Taiwan-U.S. ties, helped restore high-level mutual trust between Taipei and Washington. It also saw the two sides enjoy expanded collaboration in the areas of trade and security, Ma added.
As Taiwan continues engaging with mainland China, it is strengthening relations with key partners around the world, the president said. “This is evidenced by the fisheries agreement with Japan ending more than 40 years of disputes, as well as three consensuses with the Philippines to safeguard the interests and safety of Taiwan fishermen.”
Concerning the future of the cross-strait status quo after he leaves office next year, Ma said it should not be taken for granted, as it is the result of comprehensive policy discourse and effective implementation of related measures by the government.
“I urge all segments of Taiwan society to join in promoting peace and prosperity across the strait based on the solid foundation laid by the government.” (SFC-JSM)
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