Cross-strait ties have reached stage of 'mutual non-denial': MAC
ROC Central News Agency
Taipei, Jan. 9 (CNA) Taiwan's relations with China have entered the stage of "mutual non-denial, " in which the two sides have agreed to put aside political differences and emphasize economic issues, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Chairwoman Lai Shin-yuan said recently.
Lai made the remarks Thursday while receiving a U.K. parliamentary delegation led by Lord Faulkner of Worcester, according to a statement released Friday by the MAC.
Lai told her visitors that in the eight months since President Ma Ying-jeou's inauguration, Taiwan's relations with China have improved significantly and the two sides have signed various agreements in the interests of the people.
"Through such healthy interactions, the two sides are accumulating mutual trust step by step, " Lai said, citing talks in Taipei in November that yielded four agreements on cross-strait air, shipping and postal services, and food safety communications.
The next round of negotiations will focus on financial issues and cooperation in fighting crime, she said.
On allegations by opposition politicians that the Ma administration has tilted excessively toward China at the expense of Taiwan's sovereignty, Lai again clarified that the cross-strait economic liberalization policies adopted by the government are aimed at improving Taiwan's investment environment and boosting the country's economic development.
"The government has always insisted that the Republic of China is an independent sovereign state, and the Republic of China remains the country's official name according to the Constitution," Lai said.
She pledged that the government will stick to its commitment to maintain the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and promote regional peace through continued dialogue with China. (By Y.F. Low) ENDITEM/ls
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