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TAIPEI: Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou on Friday urged confidence in the economy and pledged to promote peace with China as the island marked its first national day under his new government.
"We are facing an unprecedented global financial crisis and the government will actively handle the situation while promoting cross-strait peace and international friendship," Ma said in his national day speech.
"Improving the economy is the government's top priority and we will push for economic reforms amid the current challenges.... We will conquer the obstacles and head to prosperity if we have firm confidence," he said.
Taiwan's central bank on Thursday cut its key interest rates by 25 basis points while the cabinet has assured a full guarantee for money saved in local banks.
Ma's government has unveiled an economic stimulus package worth US$5.6 billion to help achieve its target of 4.3 per cent economic growth this year and shore up the ailing stock market.
The president Friday vowed to build a "clean and able" government to win the respect and recognition of China and the international community.
Ma, of the Beijing-friendly Kuomintang (KMT), swept to a landslide victory in March on pledges to improve the island's sluggish economy and bolster relations with China.
He reiterated Friday that Taiwan will continue to relax controls on ties with China while maintaining its defence capabilities.
"The people's mutual expectations are 'no reunification, no independence and no use of force' between the two sides. But we will not have wishful thinking, we will firmly uphold Taiwan's dignity and Taiwanese people's welfare," he said.
"We will maintain defence capabilities because we can seek cross-strait peace only when we have no security concerns."
Ma added that the government's China policy would not be affected by the widening scandal over tainted Chinese milk products.
Change has been rapid since Ma took office in May, as Taipei and Beijing resumed dialogue and then launched regular direct flights in July for the first time in nearly six decades.
His government has allowed more Chinese tourists to visit the island and relaxed controls on China-bound investments, issues that had been shunned by the former ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Ma also urged the two sides to seek reconciliation and put aside sovereignty disputes.
Friday's celebrations marked a sharp contrast to the rare military parade staged by the then DPP government last year as a reminder to Beijing of the island's military capabilities.
Tensions had mounted under the eight-year rule of Ma's predecessor Chen Shui-bian, whose pro-independence rhetoric at times angered Beijing and the island's key ally Washington.
Taiwan and the mainland have been governed separately since they split in 1949 at the end of a civil war.
However, Beijing still sees the island as part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary, and opposes its bids to join international organisations.
- AFP/yb
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