The two were brought under voters' closer attentions, as they espoused their major policies planned for the next four years at their first pre-election televised public debate.

They still traded barbs over some policy differences and alleged corruption of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration in the past eight years and of Ma while he was mayor of capital Taipei.

But Frank Hsieh of the ruling DPP and his counterpart Ma Ying-jeou of the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) also lavishly praised each other when asked to cite their opponent's strengths when answering one of the 20 questions covering a wide range of issues put forward by citizens.

With the election to be held less than four weeks on March 22, Hsieh touted the achievements of the DPP administration, especially during his tenure as premier.

He also highlighted the threats from China while promising accelerated pace to expand direct transport links with China.

Identity

Hsieh again questioned Ma's loyalty to and identity with Taiwan because his KMT rival once held a permanent resident certificate issued by the U.S. government when he studied in the U.S. and worked at an American law firm decades earlier.

Ma declared that he is "100 percent a Taiwanese and also a citizen of the Republic of China."

"I grew up here drinking Taiwan water, eating Taiwan rice," said the Hong Kong-born Ma.

He said he himself will be buried in Taiwan like his own father and other elderly members in the family.

"If elected, I would not talk with the mainland on the issue of unification, declare Taiwan independence, or take military actions against the other side," he said.

"Actions rather than words should be used to show if one loves Taiwan," Hsieh told voters, hitting out at Ma for once holding a U.S. residency card during his student days.

Ma clarified again that he did once hold permanent residency status, but the certificate had become invalid a long time ago after he brought his whole family back to Taiwan.

Economic development

When asked how to tame inflation as prices of raw materials continue to soar, Hsieh said that in addition to reducing the people's tax burden, the government must raise the overall labor value and constrain government investments.

The former Taipei mayor said that economic development and education are among the top concerns of people in Taiwan while the business and industry community see the pressing need to launch full-scale direct transport link

with China.

This is why he has been focussing on these primary issues in his election campaign, he said.

He said he plans to increase the people's income and reduce tax that will be augmented by liberalizing economic controls and open direct transport service across the Taiwan Strait.

These measures will automatically attract capital and investments from abroad, he said.

Direct transport link

Hsieh said the government already launched the air charter flights for traditional festivals between Taiwan and China to save people' time and money when he served as premier in 2005.

The "2005 consensus" reached between the two sides was more significant that the "1992 consensus" reached when cross-strait talks commenced, he said.

He said he had striven to expand direct transport services in the form of charter flights over the weekend or even in the morning or afternoon.

It was China that had withheld the actions for fear of influencing the outcome of elections in Taiwan, he said.

But he promised to achieve the goals within three months if he was elected as the next president.

Ma pointed out the DPP has been in power for eight years and President Chen Shui-bian had publicly made the exact same promise eight years ago.

Seven cities

Through negotiations with Beijing under the premise of adequate national security protection, Ma said he plans to designate seven cities in Taiwan -- Taipei Songshan and Taoyuan in the north, Chingchuankang in the center, Hsiaokang in southern Kaohsiung, Hualien and Taitung on the east coast, and the offshore Penghu County -- along with an equal number of counterpart cities in China for direct transport services.

Taiwan's frontline island of Kinmen can be added if necessary, he said.

It will take two to three months to launch the weekend charter flights and turn them into daily charter flights in six months, he said.

The two sides must also hammer out arrangements for scheduled flights because travelers are unable to book charter flight tickets three months earlier or ship cargoes, he explained.

Yet daily flights will help Taiwan's air carriers flying to China extend further to the U.S. or Europe for the convenience of passengers.

Ma said he would call the air service "two-coast flight routes" to avoid political haggling and the prolonged impasse.

Diplomacy

Ma said Taipei and Beijing should end the decades-old diplomatic tug-of-war for allies around the world.

"The two sides should stop fighting diplomatically, and should not lure each other's allies away. They have no reason to keep suppressing us," he said.

More than 170 countries have recognized China but only 23 recognize Taiwan.

For Hsieh, opening up to China is on his agenda but must not come at the cost of the island's security.

Hsieh said he has a plan in mind regarding the opening of direct links with China, but Taiwan's national security and sovereignty should be given top priority.

"The opposition and the ruling parties should stop fighting each other so that we can unite and join hands in facing China," he added.

"Ending the diplomatic battle would be good, but the problem is -- what cost might we pay for this?"

Education and culture

To narrow the discrepancy in the students' academic levels in cities and rural areas, Hsieh said he will adopt a system to allow a certain percentage of

vocational senior high school graduates to enter the government-run colleges and universities and encourage students to attend senior high schools in their own communities.

The schools that fail the academic standard evaluations will be washed out from the market, he added.

Ma said he will first provide free education to all vocational senior high school students to cultivate talent for the business community, increase subsidies to underprivileged students, and make the NT$50 billion-a-year project for outstanding universities a permanent program.

He said elevating the compensation for teachers at rural areas will help encourage them to stay with their jobs rather than moving to metropolitan areas.