Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/10/29
By: Hsieh Chia-chen and Elaine Hou
During a meeting with participants in an annual Global Views Chinese Business Leaders
Taipei, Oct. 29 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) called Thursday for an expansion and deepening of exchanges across the Taiwan Strait.
Forum held by the Taipei-based magazine “Global Views Monthly”, Ma said that both sides of the strait can resolve disputes through peaceful means and that the most important thing is to expand and deepen bilateral exchanges, and increase mutual understanding.
Speaking on cross-strait relations, he said both sides began deepening their exchanges seven years ago when he took office.
Before Ma took office in May 2008, tension across the strait was heightened due to then-President Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) pro-Taiwan independence stance.
Ma also lauded his administration’s efforts to maintain close trade relations with China, while also trying to increase trade exchanges with Southeast Asian countries to diversify the country’s trade relations.
During the meeting, the participants suggested that the two sides of the strait should increase exchanges and cooperation in the area of the cultural and creative industries.
In response, Ma said that the government will continue to identify the reason for a bottleneck in cross-strait exchanges in this area and seek to deepen bilateral exchanges. [FULL STORY]
