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PRINTTaiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou began his second term Sunday and signaled he will maintain a mild cross-Straits policy in his tone-setting speech, while analysts say that a major political breakthrough between the mainland and Taiwan is not likely to be achieved during Ma's second term.
"We have promoted cross-Strait ties in accordance with the principles of putting 'pressing matters before less pressing ones, easily resolved issues before difficult ones, and economic matters before political ones'," Ma said at an inaugural ceremony, Xinhua reported.
Ma reaffirmed his support for the 1992 Consensus that upholds the one-China principle.
Ma first took office at a time when cross-Straits tensions caused by former Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian's policy advocating "Taiwan independence" were running high. However, two-way mail, transport, trade and flights and a series of cooperative gestures have subsequently warmed the cross-Straits relations.
"During Ma's first term, the mainland and Taiwan signed the Cross-Straits Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement and 16 other agreements covering a wide range of economic and cultural issues. From this point of view, Ma's achievement is remarkable," said Wang Jianmin, a researcher with the Institute of Taiwan Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
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