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TAIPEI: Taiwan's presidential election frontrunner vowed Monday to press for closer ties with China despite the unrest in Tibet, brushing off concerns that the violence could swing the vote against him.
"Taiwan is not Tibet," Ma Ying-jeou told reporters, defending his plans to negotiate a peace agreement with China and forge closer trade links if he is elected in Saturday's vote.
"I have always maintained that China is a threat but is also an opportunity to Taiwan," he said.
"What we should do is maximise the opportunity and minimise the risk. That is why we propose we should engage the mainland."
Opinion polls put Ma, of the opposition Kuomintang, around 20 points ahead of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's candidate Frank Hsieh.
However some analysts suggest that Hsieh -- who warned Sunday that Taiwan under Chinese rule might end up like Tibet -- could crunch into Ma's lead by focusing on fears of what might happen under a unified China.
China regards the island, which split from the mainland in 1949, as part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary.
"We have not changed our mind as regards signing a peace agreement with Beijing. But the ways and preparations might be slightly different as we move along," Ma said.
He rejected Hsieh's Taiwan-Tibet analogy as "incorrect" and condemned the deadly unrest in the Himalayan region, which has seen Chinese security forces struggle to restore order after an uprising against China's rule.
Ma said the situation was "of great concern" and that the violence should stop immediately.
"Democracy, freedom and protection of human rights are universal values. We certainly believe these values are also shared by the Tibetan people." - AFP/ac
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