Taiwan Presidential Hopeful to Seek China Peace Pact

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[quote]
Taiwan Presidential Hopeful to Seek China Peace Pact (Update1)

By James Peng and Stephen Engle

Oct. 23 (Bloomberg) – Taiwan’s opposition Nationalist Party wants to negotiate a peace agreement with China if it wins the presidential election in 2008, seeking to end five decades of hostility, Chairman Ma Ying-jeou said.

The party aims to conclude a deal by 2012 that would ensure Taiwan’s security from attack in exchange for a guarantee that the island won’t seek independence, Ma, 56, the Nationalists’ likely presidential candidate, said in an interview on Oct. 19. A precondition is that China remove the 800 missiles it has pointing at Taiwan from its eastern coast and inland, he said.

The Harvard graduate’s promise of lowered tension with China and boosted business prospects may help persuade voters to return his party to power. China’s government, which regards Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified by force if necessary, has been forging closer ties with the Nationalists as it seeks to isolate the island’s pro-independence President Chen Shui-bian.

We're talking about normalization,'' Ma said at Taipei's City Hall, where he also serves as mayor of the island's capital. We have not really terminated the state of hostilities between the mainland and Taiwan.’’

China and Taiwan have been ruled separately since a civil war ended in 1949, when Mao Zedong’s Communists forced the Nationalist army of Chiang Kai-shek to retreat to the island, 90 miles from the mainland coast. China has said repeatedly that any declaration of independence by Taiwan would mean war.

Business Ties

The Nationalists, also known as the Kuomintang, lost the presidency to the Democratic Progressive Party’s Chen in 2000, ending their postwar hold on power. In his six years as president, Chen has provoked Beijing by calling Taiwan a sovereign state, proposing an overhaul of the island’s 59-year-old constitution, and trying to get Taiwan a United Nations seat.

Almost 60 years after the civil war’s end, those policies are prompting warmer relations between the heirs of Mao and Chiang. Ma’s predecessor Lien Chan met President Hu Jintao in the mainland last year, the highest-level talks between the two sides since 1949. China has offered trade concessions to woo Taiwan voters.

A peace agreement would help reduce security tensions in East Asia, where the U.S. is preoccupied with the North Korea nuclear crisis. It might also benefit Taiwan’s $346 billion economy by allowing businesses to forge closer ties with the mainland. Taiwan companies have invested as much as $150 billion in mainland China, the island’s largest trading partner.

Ma’s offer of peace talks didn’t include a commitment to move toward reunification, the goal of the government in Beijing. The Nationalists adhere to a ``one China’’ principle agreed with the Communist government in 1992, which declares the mainland and Taiwan are part of the same country, though the two sides may have different interpretations of the term.

Direct Links

China has proposed reunification under the ``one country, two systems’’ model used to return the former British colony of Hong Kong in 1997, a formula Taiwan’s Chen has rejected.

The Nationalists’ policy is that unification is an option'' to be decided by Taiwan's 23 million people and could only be achieved after China has evolved into a country of freedom, democracy and prosperity,’’ party spokesman Huang Yu-cheng said.

Ma said a Nationalist government initially would seek the restoration of what are known as the ``three links:’’ direct trade, air and shipping routes, and postal services, which were severed after 1949. The Nationalists would also consider liberalizing Taiwan’s restrictions on investment in China and ending a ban on mainland investments in the island.

It's going to be a two-way treatment,'' said Ma, who defeated President Chen when the latter sought re-election as Taipei mayor in 1998. It’s going to be normal relations between the two parts of the Taiwan Strait.’’

Missile Threat

China’s $2.2 trillion economy grew more than 10-fold since pro-market reforms started in the late 1970s, powered partly by investment from Taiwan. Growth has exceeded 10 percent for the past three years, the fastest pace of any major economy.

Direct links with China and easing investment restrictions there surely are welcomed by Taiwanese businesses with investments in China,'' said Tim Li, chief financial officer of Quanta Computer Inc., the world's biggest notebook computer maker, which has factories in the mainland. In general, these measures help save costs and upgrade competitiveness.’’

Direct links would end ``political stagnation’’ between the two sides, after which Taiwan would ask for talks on a peace agreement, Ma said.

We can assure the other side we will not shoot for independence,'' he said. We can’t really let the missiles targeted against Taiwan remain intact when we negotiate for a peace agreement. We have to negotiate the peace agreement from strength, not weakness.’’

Farm Pact

China’s missiles are perceived as ``a gun to Taiwan’s neck’’ and would have to be removed for peace talks to take place, said Andrew Yang, secretary general of the Chinese Council of Advanced Policy Studies in Taipei.

China agreed on Oct. 17 to buy more fishery products, fruit and vegetables from Taiwan, at a forum in Hainan province attended by former Nationalist Party Chairman Lien. Taiwan’s 591,000 farmers are the biggest supporters of Chen’s DPP.

The island’s government still limits investment across the Taiwan Strait out of concern that the mainland will grab business or steal advanced technology.

China must renounce the use of force against Taiwan'' and hold talks on an equal footing’’ before a peace agreement could be reached, Taiwan cabinet spokesman Cheng Wen-tsang said in a telephone interview today. The DPP doesn’t accept the one-China principle.

Nuclear Weapons

Ma, who was born in Hong Kong and moved to Taiwan when he was one year old, has a law degree from National Taiwan University, a Master of Laws from New York University and a Doctor of Juridical Science from Harvard. His first job in government was as a personal translator for President Chiang Ching-kuo, Chiang Kai- shek’s son, in the early 1980s.

What we should do is minimize the threat and maximize the opportunities,'' Ma said. There are 100,000 Taiwanese companies currently investing in mainland China. The two economies are interwoven to an extent unparalleled in history.’’

Following a peace agreement, Ma said he would seek to negotiate on Taiwan’s need for more ``international space,’’ or recognition by countries and international organizations.

Ma, speaking 10 days after North Korea tested a nuclear weapon, said that Taiwan also possessed the technical ability to produce atomic weapons, but had foresworn them.

``We have long obtained the capability of developing nuclear weapons but we also have declared long ago we won’t do that, because our problem with the mainland can’t be solved by nuclear weapons. It has to be solved by negotiations, political negotiations. There is no way Taiwan can compete with China in an arms race.’’ [/quote]

His stance is so common sense on this issue. The extremists may try to keep their heads buried deep in the sand, but after 2008, cross-strait relations will likely enter a new era.

If eight years of extremist bullcrap and disillusionment with the DPP fairytale is what it takes for the last few percent of the Taiwanese needed to form a majority to finally see the light, then it was eight years well spent.

Ma Ying Jiu my Nemesis in Love, this man has been in my way with many potential girlfriends on Taiwan. But his platform seems so pragmatic, I might have to set aside my disdain for the man and actually support him.

I knew Stephen Engle from college- he’s a good egg. I’ll have to get hold of him and direct him to Michael Turton. :smiling_imp:

Maybe you should direct Turton to Stephen Engle instead to knock the time warp out of Turton. He still seems to have KMT-persecution paranoia.

Never gonna happen.

Never gonna happen.[/quote]

As Ma said on his BBC Hardtalk interview in which he squirmed in his chair and could only make condescending answers like you don’t understand chinese culture…

Only the leaders of Taiwan could sell out the country to China… seems he was talking about himself.

If he’s not going to seek indepence fine… but ler the people choose in a referendum what they want. Let’s choose to be a closer part if China or not. It’s really upto the voters of this country ( like me ) to choose.

What did he choose for you, satellite TV? A “peace pact” and the three links? If you’re against a peace pact and the three links, then you’re firmly in the small minority of the Taiwanese electorate that’ll likely be disappointed come summer 2008.

Ma’s offer of peace talks didn’t include a commitment to move toward reunification, the goal of the government in Beijing.

As far as “removing the 800 missiles”… of course it doesn’t mean anything. Maybe Beijing and Taipei will hold a symbolic de-targeting ceremony, or maybe Beijing will just move’em out on rails. It’d only take a few weeks or month to bring’em back, regardless.

But since Chen Shui-bian has made such an agenda out of the existence of these 800 missiles, it only makes sense for Ma to address the same issue… as nonsensical as it may all seem.

and another bucket of sand thrown into Taiwanese people’s eyes.

Tne new KMT policy is - “There is only China - the rest of the world doesn’t really count”

But then again, I would like the CCP also come and aknowledge that there is a ROC. If not, what is this peace treaty they are talking about? Between the PLA and the ROC Army?

And about choices, Ma did chose not to follow laws the last time I saw, and the quantity of laws broken everyday in Taipei also assures it. If Ma couldn’t care less about Taipei and it’s citizens, then why he will care about the Taiwanese once he is ellected president.

Ma cares about the Taiwanese so much that he is eager to prevent them from becoming mincemeat from a PLA invasion, unlike the pro-war and pro-death factions in Taiwan.

If CSB and the Greens care about the Taiwanese, they would not be so willing to push the envelope on TI.

reztrop, maybe they care more about Taiwanese than Chinese. Also, the fact that the CCP doesn’t even recognize them and want to sit with them doesn’t help, does it? Extremisms are done by the 2 sides, so we cannot be pointing the finger at one. Also, isn’t the CCP showing 2 faces when it comes to politics in Taiwan? They first say to DPP that they will agree to sit with them when they aknowledge they are part of the PRC, but then they sit with the KMT who, as far as we know, doesn’t aknowledge that also (and has a proven history of this). Or did the KMT allready secretelly drop their pants?

Or you are also going to believe that China will risk his entire recovery for the sake of Taiwan and plundge itself into a meaningless war?

[quote=“cctang”]What did he choose for you, satellite TV? A “peace pact” and the three links? If you’re against a peace pact and the three links, then you’re firmly in the small minority of the Taiwanese electorate that’ll likely be disappointed come summer 2008.

Ma’s offer of peace talks didn’t include a commitment to move toward reunification, the goal of the government in Beijing.

As far as “removing the 800 missiles”… of course it doesn’t mean anything. Maybe Beijing and Taipei will hold a symbolic de-targeting ceremony, or maybe Beijing will just move’em out on rails. It’d only take a few weeks or month to bring’em back, regardless.

But since Chen Shui-bian has made such an agenda out of the existence of these 800 missiles, it only makes sense for Ma to address the same issue… as nonsensical as it may all seem.[/quote]

Ma hasnt offered mme anything… how could he? He’s not the elceted leader of this country :loco: :loco: :loco:

I’ve never said I’m against any peace pact. Shit I just went to China this month to negotiate my own peace pact. :smiley: :smiley:

I’m all for abolishing the 3 links. Let’s open direct flights shipping and led the hordes come in so I can take their tourist dollars and get rich. Who cares about TI… nobody in China that I spoke to.

Ma is just grandstanding before next years elections. I sure do hope you come on over and vote :raspberry:

I say, Satellite TV for President!

I need a few more years before I can run for President…

Anyways I may just run first for the local elections :noway: :noway: :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

Was not really meant seriously but would be fun. Anyway, why could you not run for office?

For President I need 10 years of residing in the ROC after assuming ROC nationality.

Yes I may actually run for office. Maybe I’ll become the Minister of Foreign Affairs so I could run the FAP as well.

Wouldn’t that be fun :smiley: :smiley:

Oh really, means I would then be 51 when I could compete with you for that position!

Changed my mind, think it is easier keep my present Citizenship, run for the same job back in Switzerland, could then establish diplomatic relations with you.

Could you post some of those nice swiss guards types around the presidential office for me when I move in then?

hey satelite, don’t forget that it could be considered graft…