President Ma Ying-jeou spoke about the importance of cross-strait relations and about his recent meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in an interview with Bloomberg.
During the interview, conducted Thursday, Ma said that no country can afford to ignore Mainland China. He said that regardless of one’s personal views about China’s political situation, economic relations with China must be conducted with a practical attitude.
Ma said that his recent meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping has built a bridge that future leaders can use in conducting cross-strait relations.
Asked whether his meeting with Xi Jinping might also represent a bridge between Taiwan and other countries, Ma said that it is too early to speculate. But he said that the past seven years of his administration have shown that improved cross-strait relations also served to improve the international environment.
Asked about his low approval rating in opinion polls, Ma said that his administration has made a number of reforms, such as adjusting and standardizing prices for oil and electricity. He said that these reforms may have created dissatisfaction. But Ma said that the situation is improving.
Ma said that Taiwanese society is very confrontational when it comes to politics. He said that there are times when he is unable to win support no matter what he says. He also said that understanding this allows him to do what must be done.