• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Taiwan, China set to make progress on cross-strait ties: President

ROC Central News Agency

2008-05-24 16:47:50

    Taipei, May 24 (CNA) Both Taiwan and Mainland China should have the acumen to resolve immediate issues, such as launch of the direct cross-strait charter flights, President Ma Ying-jeou said Saturday, stressing that only when this happens will cross strait relations progress.

    Ma made the statement at a send off for the ruling Kuomintang's Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung ahead of Wu's departure May 26 for a six-day visit to China at the invitation of Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Communist Party of China who doubles as the president of China.

    Wu's trip to China will "give new energy to cross-strait relations," Ma said, noting that cross-Taiwan Strait links had been developing steadily after 1989 when the KMT lifted the ban on travel to China for the purpose of visiting relatives, but had ground to a halt for the eight years between 2000 and 2008 when the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was in power. "I sincerely hope that the visit (by Wu) will be a big success at this time when Taiwan and Mainland China are about to resume bilateral talks." Ma said. "Wu can also convey the sentiments in my inaugural speech to Hu."

    Ma said he hoped that Wu's trip, which comes as the result of the groundwork laid in 2005 by former KMT Chairman Lien Chan, will complement the bilateral exchanges between Taiwan's quasi-official Straits Exchange Foundation (SET) and its counterpart Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) in China.

    Ma promised that his mainland policies will be grounded on "Taiwan's integrity and the interests of all people, " stressing that his administration will be very cautious in dealing with cross-strait issues.

    The president expressed the hope that both sides will be able to "build mutual trust, shelve controversies, find commonalities despite differences, and create together a win-win situation across the Taiwan Strait, " under the framework of the 1992 Consensus, which reportedly allows for the acknowledgement of one-China, but with different interpretations, "All the people across the Taiwan Strait desire peace, prosperity, and dignity," Ma stated.

    He also expressed condolences over the tens of thousands of lives lost in the recent earthquake in Sichuan Province, China, and his concern for the survivors in the disaster areas.

    The president pledged Taiwan's willingness to assist in the physical and psychological recovery and rehabilitation of the survivors.

    Ma also urged the Chinese government to open the areas devastated by the May 12 earthquake to international and other aid groups that wish to help in the reconstruction work.

    The death toll from the 8-magnitude earthquake that hit China's Sichuan Province was 55,740 as of Friday afternoon, and tens of thousands more are missing, according to China's state-run Xinhua news agency.

(By Howard Lin)

ENDITEM /pc