‘SHARED DAILY EXPERIENCES’:The former president said that personal exchanges would allow people in China to better understand the ‘value of Taiwan’s existence’
Taipei Times
Date: Nov 21, 2016
By: Lu Yi-hsuan and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer
Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) on Saturday called for respect for every individual’s sexual
Former president Ma Ying-jeou, left, talks with a student at the University of Notre Dame near South Bend, Indiana, on Saturday. Photo: CNA
orientation, as he met with Asian students at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana to discuss a number of issues, including the value of Taiwan’s democratic system, gay rights and the importance of increased cultural exchanges with China.
He made the remarks at a forum held by the university, addressing students from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and China on the subject of cross-strait relations.
Ma, on his first trip to the US since leaving office in May, began by saying that Taiwan-China relations could be “natural” if they are based on “shared daily experiences,” such as exchanges between students.
Praising Taiwan’s democratic system, Ma said that it is imperative that the decisions made by individuals in Taiwan be free of social interference, and he expressed his belief that society would make the right decision on the legislature’s draft bills to legalize same-sex marriage through the democratic process. [FULL STORY]
