Ma made the remarks when speaking at a workshop for senior officials on programs related to China, the first workshop of its kind ever launched by the Ma administration.

"My administration has always aimed to serve the best interests of Taiwan," Ma said, adding that four accords signed in November were all economic issues of major concern to Taiwan and are absolutely irrelevant to the delicate sovereignty issue.

The president stressed that the closer economic ties with China won't jeopardize Taiwan's sovereignty or dignity and that the government's recent launch of daily direct cross-Taiwan Strait charter flights and direct shipping and postal links with China is beneficial to Taiwan and will raise Taiwan's international competitiveness.

Ma cited the results of recent opinion polls as indicating that the majority of the public favor the launch of the direct links with China, as more than two-thirds of the respondents believe the agreements signed with China will have a very positive effect on the economy.

Touching on a just-concluded forum between the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party, Ma said Taiwan's quasi-official Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) and its Chinese counterpart, the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), cannot replace all the functions of non-government organizations (NGOs).

"We need all the help we can get," said Ma, adding that in the near future, the SEF and the Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) will not be able to handle the daily increasing matters between Taiwan and China.

Emphasizing that there are more than 60 channels of communication between the United States and China, Ma noted that NGOs and academics are a vital part of the non-official communication channels between the two sides of the strait that can contribute significantly to the improvement of cross-strait ties and cooperation.

"The pacts with China represent an opportunity to boost Taiwan's economy, but should not be regarded as a panacea for Taiwan's economic woes," said Ma, adding that the government should always hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. Since the KMT returned to power in May, Ma's administration has been working to melt the ice between the two sides of the strait and to forge links with China, particularly on the economic front.

In their second round of talks held in Taipei from Nov. 3-7, SEF Chairman Chiang Pin-kung, and his Chinese counterpart, ARATS President Chen Yunlin, signed four agreements to allow daily direct cross-strait flights, direct shipping links and direct postal services, as well as the establishment of a food safety mechanism between the two sides.

On the same occasion, Premier Liu Chao-shiuan instructed various government agencies to strengthen communications among themselves to better serve the interests of the public in the planning of future negotiations with China, as the new era in cross-strait ties requires the participation of the entire government system.

Liu said various government units should also step up cultivation of talent needed to tackle issues or carry out negotiations on future development of cross-strait ties.

Meanwhile, according to the MAC, which charts the country's China policies and oversees the SEF, the agenda for the next cross-strait dialogue will include cross-strait cooperation in the areas of combating crime, strengthening food safety, the inspection and quarantine of agriculture produce, and on investment, financial, fishery, cultural and educational cooperation.

Chairperson Lai Hsing-yuan of the MAC said that equal participation in cross-strait cargo transportation business by expedient ships of both sides will be the key principle to be followed in the future talks on shipping rights between Taiwan shippers association and its mainland Chinese counterparts.

Also yesterday, Su Chi, secretary general of the National Security Council, said at the workshop that Taiwan should step up reinforcement of its soft strength by adopting the "no reunification, no independence, and no war" policies on the one hand, and pursuing stability, dignity and economic development on the other.