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Ma would initiate
China political talks if re-elected: cable
AP, TAIPEI
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) will open political talks with China if he is
re-elected to a second term, a US diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks cited
Vice President Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) as saying.
Siew’s June 2009 statement to then American Institute in Taiwan director Stephen
Young was the clearest indication so far by a senior official that Ma would
expand on existing economic talks if he were re-elected in January.
Since Ma’s Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) took office in May 2008, he has
significantly improved ties with China by facilitating several successful trade
agreements.
Public opinion polls give Ma a small lead over Democratic Progressive Party
Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) in the Jan. 14 elections. Tsai and her party say
Ma is moving too far and too fast in his bid to improve relations with China,
threatening Taiwan’s de facto independence in the process.
For his part, Ma says the DPP presidential nominee lacks a coherent policy for
dealing with Beijing.
The WikiLeaks cable, dated June 30, 2009, quoted Siew as saying that political
talks during a possible Ma second term would address key issues including “a
peace treaty, a formal end to hostilities and development of bilateral military
confidence mechanisms” with China.
In the past, Ma has put as a condition for opening political discussions with
Beijing that China remove the estimated 1,500 missiles it has aimed at Taiwanese
targets. However, there was no mention of this condition in the cable.
In public statements, Ma has usually been vague on the political talks with
China issue, saying that until more progress is made on economic questions — the
centerpiece of his three-and-a-half year administration — there was no need to
consider the political side.
However, he has acknowledged in private conversations that China might be
forcing his hand.
In a separate WikiLeaks cable dated Dec. 15, 2009, he told a senior US defense
official that activities by the People’s Liberation Army could convince Taipei
to enter into political talks with Beijing. enter into political talks with
Beijing.
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