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Updated Wednesday, May 20, 2009 9:47 am TWN, By David Young, The China Post Pres. Ma pledges to push for rapprochement with ChinaAt a press conference on the eve of his first year in office, President Ma absolved himself of charges of selling out Taiwan and declared there is no turning back on the way to an eventual entente between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. In response to the loud accusation of sellout raised by Democratic Progressive Party chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen, President Ma said Taiwan's sovereignty was not downgraded in all the agreements reached between Taiwan and China since he took office on May 20 last year. Nor is Taiwan's dignity as a sovereign state hurt, though it joined the World Health Assembly as an observer in the name of Chinese Taipei, Ma declared. An estimated 100,000 supporters took to the streets with Tsai at the head to protest Ma's supposed sellout of Taiwan and demand former President Chen Shui-bian's immediate release on Sunday. It was followed by a 24-hour sit-in in front of the Office of the President. Held in detention for a half year, Chen is standing trial for forgery, corruption and graft, and money laundering. Ma said his government is doing what it can to improve relations across the strait. Tensions between Taiwan and China have been greatly eased. The strait is no longer a flash point which it used to be during the eight years Chen was in office. But the DPP which Chen brought to power in 2000 has continued to oppose President Ma's more open China policy. No turning back He wanted to ask the opposition how he should conduct cross-strait relations. "If they want us to go back to where the relations between the two sides of the strait stood eight years ago," he pointed out, "I'm sorry, I can't. That's not the road we should take." In fact, Ma went on, his government spent one year righting the wrongs made in the eight years. There is no question of Taiwan, Ma continued. "Taiwan is the Republic of China, historically and constitutionally," he said. The fact, however, is that there are two political entities in China. No one can deny the existence of Mainland China. "That's why we have defined the Republic of China as comprising the Taiwan area and the Mainland area," he pointed out. Ma pledged all-out efforts to improve relations across the strait in the next three years. One immediate task is to conclude an economic cooperation framework agreement between the two sides of the strait. The accord, expected to be signed before the end of this year, will further improve the Taiwan-China rapprochement. "Efforts will be redoubled, with caution, to achieve an even better relationship step by step in the years to come," President Ma said. "There is no turning back," he declared. Comments May 21, 2009 extrajuice@ There's no convincing way to be certain of Pres. Ma's long-term intentions, but I'd rather give him the benefit of the doubt. If he involves the people through referendums on cross-strait issues a tad more and makes more transparent negotiations, dealings and agreements occurring with China, it may remove some of the negativity building up through speculation. The man is intelligent, no doubt, and he realizes that political ascension can really only occur as desired when the economy is in an improved state. He has a fine line to walk, and attempting to balance China's perceptions of Taiwan and still follow the most beneficial path for Taiwanese is by no means a clear and easy feat. Most Taiwanese do not readily visualize the bigger global picture that Ma's moves are being made in and in that sense more easily place staunch and direct blame.My advice? Take the earmarked money and plow it into nanotech, biotech and other high-barrier-to-entry markets which can place Taiwan once again at the head of the curve. Utilize remaining funds to enhance specialized education to feed these industries. Over the long-term, Taiwan will re-cement the success experienced with chip production. May 22, 2009 pgsaffold@ By economic recovery are you referring to the 6% unemployment rate or the record plunge in GDP of almost 10%.. May 25, 2009 coffee_whiskay@ @pgsaffold (5-22)The world calls it the "Global financial Crisis". But here in Taiwan we are not so lucky. Because we have our own DPP, we have Two Dreadful Economic Crises prior to the Global Financial Crisis. The Two DPP-made Dreadful Economic Crises were: 1- The DPP are incompetent, unproductive and uncreative in planning the Economic Policy. 2- The Corrupt Chen just sat idle and planned his own corrupt policy for his own Secret Bank Account. Now at the time President Ma took over as President of the Republic of China the Global Financial Crisis was added to the list of the Two DPP-MADE DREADFUL ECONOMIC CRISES. In just 1 year. President Ma, KMT and his CABINET have began to clean up the MESS leftover by the Corrupt Chen and the incompetent DPP. President Ma not only successfully recovered our economy but also successful in other fields That is ACHIEVEMENT. |
 President Ma Ying-jeou at a press conference. He denied charges of selling out Taiwan, yesterday. (CNA) Enlarge Photo
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President Ma’s achievement in just one year has brought economic recovery even as the financial crisis grips the whole world.
President Ma brought peace and harmony between both sides and let Republic of China in Taiwan move forward with honor, respect and dignity in the world stage.