In the publication's latest issue, the U.S. news weekly quotes Ma as saying in an exclusive interview that Hu Jintao wants to find common interests while ignoring the differences between Taiwan and China.

"If we can maintain that spirit, a lot of things can be achieved," Ma replies to a Newsweek question of what message he wants to get across to Hu Jintao.

Ma goes on to say: "I call upon him to seize this opportunity."

That opportunity must be a call by President George W. Bush for dialogue across the Taiwan Strait on the basis of what is known as the "consensus of 1992," though the news magazine does not mention it.

Under that tacit agreement, both Taipei and Beijing acknowledge there is but one China, whose definition or connotation may be orally and individually expressed.

In fact, the agreement, reached by an exchange of notes between the two non-official organization, is something like a diplomatic aide memoire, which is unsigned and can be denied by each side at its convenience. The president-elect stresses the maintenance of the status quo across the strait, which he says is "the best choice" open to Taiwan.

He reiterates he "won't discuss unification during my term."

Asked about his earlier diatribe against Wen Jiabao, Chinese premier, Ma says he doesn't like the way the Chinese leader talked about Tibet and Taiwan together.

"That was really an irritant, particularly during a presidential election -- it actually aided my opponent," Ma points out.

As for a boycott of the Beijing Olympics he has threatened, Ma says it "is conditioned on two scenarios.

"The first is that (China) continues to suppress the Tibetan people, and the situation gets worse. And then we should consult the people."

Ma attributes his landslide victory on March 22 to his better economic platform and Frank Hsieh's negative campaign against him.

The people of Taiwan, Ma continues, want a vibrant economy, a clean government, a society with equitable distribution of wealth and a peaceful Taiwan Strait.

They have been very much troubled by the corrupt government of President Chen Shui-bian, Ma says. Rampant government corruption contributed to his election, he adds.

Is there any contributions Chen has made to Taiwan's democracy?

Chen contributed by defending political prisoners. He refers to Chen's role as a defense lawyer for those tried for involvement in the Formosa Incident in Kaohsiung on World Human Rights Day in 1979.

President Chen hails from a very poor family, Ma says. That "proves that Taiwan is a society with (upward) mobility."