Ma's comments to reporters came on his first full day in office, and two days after Chinese pressure scotched Taiwan's bid for observer status in the World Health Assembly, a U.N. body.

"If (China) continues to squeeze us, obviously the people of Taiwan will not have a positive image of the mainland, which is detrimental to what (China) wants - namely cordial and smooth cross-strait relations," Ma said.

Taiwan and China split amid civil war in 1949. Beijing still claims the island as part of its territory, and has threatened war if Taipei moves to make the break permanent. China has long opposed anything that gives Taiwan the trappings of sovereignty, including participation in international organizations.

Ma was elected on March 20 on promises to improve ties with Beijing after eight-tension-filled years under the leadership of pro-independence President Chen Shui-bian.

On Wednesday, Ma reiterated his intention to reduce tensions across the 100-mile-wide (160-kilometer-wide) Taiwan Strait, one of the world's perennial hotspots.

"Our goal ... is to make cross-strait peace," he said.

However, he also reaffirmed his determination to safeguard the island's security.

"What we are trying to do is to build a small but strong deterrent force so that the mainland will not consider to use force against Taiwan," he said.

Ma said that Taiwan will continue to procure defensive arms from abroad to bolster its security, but that it will not build or acquire nuclear weapons, in keeping with longtime policy.

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