By Chris Wang / Staff Reporter
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday touted his administration’s efforts to reduce tensions across the Taiwan Strait over the past three years.
Ma, who is seeking re-election in January, told visiting Canadian members of parliament at the Presidential Office that his administration had “effectively reversed the situation across the Taiwan Strait and institutionalized cross-strait relations and reconciliation with a peaceful approach.”
Cross-strait ties, which were once characterized by “conflict and confrontation,” are now characterized by “reconciliation and consultation,” allowing bilateral engagement, trade and investment to develop “remarkably,” Ma said.
Today, 558 passenger flights cross the Strait each week, facilitating engagement between Taiwanese and Chinese and reducing the chances of cross-strait conflict, he said.
“We do not think an arms race with China is in the best interests of Taiwan or the region; that’s why we have chosen peace and rapprochement,” Ma said.
Turning to Taiwan’s relations with Canada, Ma said about 150,000 Taiwanese visit Canada each year, adding that Canada remains one of the top choices for Taiwanese students.
He said the number of Taiwanese visiting Canada would continue to grow after Ottawa offered Taiwan visa-free treatment and signed a working holiday agreement last year.
Meanwhile, Mainland Affairs Council Chairwoman Lai Shin-yuan (賴幸媛) said in New York that US officials had expressed confidence in Ma’s “responsible” policy.
Lai, who will end her US visit tomorrow, said the so-called “1992 consensus” and the “one China, different interpretations” were an important foundation for cross-strait negotiations, but added that the government firmly believed that the “Republic of China is the only legitimate representative of China in the world.”
Additional reporting by CNA