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TAIPEI : Taiwan's president-elect Ma Ying-jeou extended his hand on Sunday to big neighbour China, vowing to help pave the way for a century of mutual peace and prosperity in the region.
Buoyed by a landslide election victory on Saturday, Ma said he wanted a "non-denial" agreement that would allow Taiwan and China - which claims sovereignty over the island - to exist side by side.
He promised to work for warmer relations, pressing for closer trade ties, direct air and tourism links and a peace treaty that would end decades of hostilities since Taiwan split from the mainland in 1949.
Ma appealed for public trust and urged voters to re-elect him four years from now, saying: "If you give me eight years, I will lay the foundation for a century of peace and prosperity."
The Harvard-educated opposition Kuomintang (KMT) candidate won 58 percent of the vote on Saturday, trouncing pro-independence ruling party chief Frank Hsieh by almost 17 points.
It earned the congratulations of US President George W. Bush, who said it offered a fresh opportunity to improve relations with mainland China.
Beijing, too, "will likely be low-key but privately delighted," said Ralph Cossa, president of Hawaii-based think-tank Pacific Forum CSIS.
The vote had been closely watched by Beijing and Washington for signs of a new approach after eight years of recurring tensions under outgoing President Chen Shui-bian.
Ma said he backed a 1992 consensus between Beijing and Taipei under which both accepted the formula of "One China" but agreed to interpret it to suit their own purposes.
He reiterated a promise not to declare Taiwan's independence - China has threatened to invade if it does so - but not to negotiate unification either, and to oppose the use of force across the 130-kilometre strait that divides the nations.
"Taiwan's identity has to be respected," he said. "We will negotiate with each other on an equal footing."
Ma said he wanted to negotiate an economic cooperation agreement; a peace accord including military confidence-building measures to avoid a flashpoint incident; and Taiwan's diplomatic status on the world stage, where it has been squeezed by Beijing.
Returning to the 1992 consensus - in other words, leaving the sensitive issue of sovereignty to one side - would enable progress on other urgent but less intractable issues, Ma said.
Analysts expect Taiwan and China will soon reopen contacts on tourism and trade through two semi-official bodies, and that direct flights could start later this year.
Ma said he had "no plans" to visit China. "We want to work on substantive issues. If we are able to do that, we will consider whether a high-level visit is required."
Ma made improving ties with Beijing a cornerstone of his platform for his KMT party, and that - along with concern over the stuttering economy - swept him to victory.
"The prospect of some resumption of cross-strait talks seems high based on this agreement to disagree over definitions," said Cossa.
But he cautioned it would take another generation to pass in Beijing before it would be receptive to complete Taiwanese autonomy.
Ma's landslide, coupled with the KMT's crushing victory in parliamentary elections in January, restores his party to political dominance here, eight years after Chen ended its half-century grip on power.
His beaten rival Hsieh, meanwhile, kept a low profile. He was whisked away from his home in the morning amid question marks over his future.
A number of Democratic Progressive Party figures have urged him to shoulder responsibility for the debacle and step down, making room for a generational shift. - AFP/de
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