Closer China ties fortify sovereignty: Ma

Speaking at the 2009 Taiwan Businessmen in China Lunar New Year Reception held in Tainan, Ma asserted that closer ties with China have allowed Taiwan to play a more active role in the international arena and played a vital role in Taiwan's economic structure.

“Taiwanese entrepreneurs know better than the government if they should go invest in China,” said Ma, but it was the government's responsibility to provide an efficient platform to facilitate logistics operations and protect Taiwanese investment in China.

Surrounded by the biggest economies in the world, Taiwan is in an economically vital strategic position in Southeast Asia that better ties with China could help Taiwan exploit.

“Across the Pacific lies the United States, which is the biggest economy in the world today, and not far from us to the north is Japan, the second biggest economy in the world. The third largest global economic entity is located just across the Taiwan Strait,” Ma said.

The president suggested, however, that Taiwan has not been able to make good use of its advantageous position in the area due to political conflicts and constraints.

“The most important job of my administration is to eliminate all obstacles that limit Taiwan from taking advantage of its geographical advantages and achieving steady and prosperous economic development,” the president asserted.

Ma said that although the normalization of bilateral ties with China has not gone as smoothly as expected, the launching of the “direct three links” has increased the “bargaining chips” of Taiwanese investors in China amid the global economical downturn.

“The air and sea transportation sectors have not been the only beneficiaries of the launch of the links,” Ma said. “The recent economic cooperation between the two sides has also given Taiwanese investors in China a chance to re-evaluate their method of operations.”

The president also rebuffed accusations that his administration has tilted excessively toward China at the expense of Taiwan's sovereignty and that the United States and Japan share the same concerns.

He said the economic liberalization policies adopted by the government are aimed at improving Taiwan's investment environment and boosting the country's economic development.

In addition, Ma said, the improved cross-strait relations has been universally welcomed by all of Taiwan's allies around the world.

Asked why Taiwan was not mentioned during the recent dialogue between the United States and China, Ma said that, “no news is good news,” adding that it is normal that Taiwan wasn't mentioned.

“If Taiwan is mentioned and discussed all the time, it would be bad for Taiwan's investment environment,” said Ma.

Ma also said Taiwan's goal is to seek peace and stability in the area, and that the exclusion of the “Taiwan issue” in the recent dialogue between the U.S. and China is the best proof that improved ties are accepted and welcomed by all parties.

According to Ma, the improvement and normalization of cross-strait ties is the best way to restore mutual trust with the U.S. government.

“The U.S. government approved arms sales to Taiwan last September due to Taiwan's determination to become a problem solver instead of a troublemaker on cross-strait issues,” he said.

Since the Kuomintang (KMT) returned to power last May, Ma's administration has committed itself to improving relations with Beijing and forging links across the Taiwan Strait, particularly on the economic front.

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