Not testing Beijing, policies same: Ma

Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Chairwoman Lai Shin-yuan said in a speech in Washington in early August that cross-Taiwan Strait relations remained impeded by two factors — the expansion of China's military deployment against Taiwan and China's unwillingness to change the law that authorizes the use of force against Taiwan.

It was interpreted by local media as the first time that Ma's government has urged China to abolish its “anti-secession” law, with the aim of testing Beijing's bottom line.

“Lai's speech was absolutely not aimed at testing (China's bottom line),” Ma said in an interview with China Times. “I did not authorize her to make those remarks, and they did not change any government policies.”

Ma admitted that Lai's remarks were “a bit different” from what the government has said before, but the government's main direction is still to pursue the peaceful development of cross-strait relations. “China should be able to understand that,” he added.

Many countries have expressed their satisfaction with stable cross-strait relations and agreed that the development is “in everyone's interest,” Ma said. “I believe Chinese leaders agree with that, too.”

Ma said the government is still trying to improve cross-strait relations because he wants to create a “historical phase” long enough to allow the two sides to pursue closer interaction and exchanges.

“Then, based on this peace and a common Chinese culture, we will be able to work to find a solution,” Ma said.

He also said the government will maintain the current steady pace in developing cross-strait relations.

“There is no need to speed up the development,” Ma said, adding that the government has substantially opened up China policies over the past two years because it wanted to make up ground after lagging far behind for much of the past few decades.

According to polls conducted by the MAC in recent years, most people think the government's pace in developing China policies has been “just fine,” while the number of those who felt that the government was moving “too quickly” outnumbered those who considered the pace of development “too slow,” he added.

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