Cross-strait peace deal is not possible at present: Ma

The bimonthly, published by the German Council on Foreign Affairs, carries an interview by Professor Gottfried-Karl Kindermann of Munich University with Ma, titled “Cautious Approach,” in its January-February issue.

Stressing the difference in political systems and social norms, Ma told Kindermann that in resolving cross-strait problems, not only historical factors but also the political reality and the feelings of the Taiwanese people must be taken into consideration.

He said the right way should be to build mutual trust and solve problems in a democratic way on the basis of equal status and dignity.

The Chinese government must recognize and respect Taiwan's democratic system, Ma added.

Regarding the possibility that in his capacity as chairman of the ruling Kuomintang, he could meet Chinese President Hu Jintao, the president said that such a meeting would be meaningful only if the people in Taiwan reach consensus over it. “So far, the Taiwanese people still have different opinions on the tempo of developing bilateral relations,” he said.

While the pre-unification experience of Germany is very often used to compare the separation of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, Ma said that the principle of “one Germany, two nations” is not applicable to the cross strait situation, although the two sides can learn from the efforts of the two Germanys in maintaining peaceful co existence.

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