Ma delivers no surprises with cross-strait policy

Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou struck a cautious note yesterday in delivering his cross-strait policy that promises little change, as he began his second term amid protests across the island.

Analysts said the leader's cross-strait policy for the next four years, unveiled during his inaugural speech, was similar to that of his first term, indicating high-profile political dialogues, such as the signing of a peace pact, would be unlikely.

But Ma did respond, in a way, to mainland hopes that he would clearly spell out his recognition of the 'one China' principle.

Such recognition was considered a type of political payback for a spate of economic sweeteners offered by Beijing over the past four years to help the Ma administration improve the island's lacklustre economy.

He pointed to the last amendment to the island's constitution, from two decades ago, that says: 'The two sides of the Taiwan Strait have been defined as 'one Republic of China, two areas', which he said had remained unchanged since the administrations of his predecessors Lee Teng-hui and Chen Shui-bian. He also stressed that, 'when we speak of one China, naturally it is the Republic of China'.

That reference differs somewhat from the concept of 'one country, two areas' made by the honorary chairman of Taiwan's Kuomintang, Wu Poh-hsiung, during his meeting with President Hu Jintao in late March. In that meeting, Wu told Hu that both Taiwan and the mainland were two areas under one country. Beijing, which has been pushing for the 'one China' principle since the end of the civil war in 1949, reportedly gave tacit approval of Wu's remarks. But the concept sparked angry protests from the island's pro-independence camp, which suspected that Ma was trying to hand over the island to the mainland.