President Ma Ying-joeu says that the ruling party – the Kuomintang (KMT) – is a localized party. His comments came on Monday during a meeting of the KMT, in which he was speaking in his capacity as party chairman.
The KMT has long had strong ties with China, where it was originally based. Ma said, though, that the KMT has made great contributions to Taiwan.
“The KMT has been politically connected to Taiwan for more than 100 years and is now a localized party that plays by the rules," said Ma. "I am a Taiwanese and I support the KMT.”
The president also spoke about his administration’s many achievements, including helping Taiwan’s economy make a comeback following the Global Financial Crisis and the European Debt Crisis. Ma also said that relations across the Taiwan Strait are now at their most stable in 65 years. That’s why, he said, Taiwan has been able to improve relations with other countries, such as Japan and the Philippines.
The president called on KMT supporters to help the party win in the year-end elections. He said that the KMT has always respected democracy and is the best choice for Taiwan.