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Taiwan rules out war with China

TAIPEI: Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou said Tuesday he was confident there would be no war between the island and China during his first term in office, ahead of the expected visit of a top Chinese envoy.

Government officials here have said Chen Yunlin, head of the quasi-official Chinese body that handles civil exchanges with Taiwan in the absence of formal relations, is likely to visit the island in the coming weeks for fresh talks. Ties have improved dramatically since the China-friendly Ma took office earlier this year, pledging to improve business and tourism ties with Beijing, after eight years of strained relations under his predecessor Chen Shui-bian.

“To us, the mainland is a threat and an opportunity as well,” Ma said in a speech to a group of military cadets, adding that his job was to reduce that threat. “The status quo in the Taiwan Strait must be maintained,” he said. “To that end, we hope to follow the principle of ‘no unification, no independence and no use of force.’” “War will not break out in the Strait in the next four years. I presented this scenario in the run-up to the presidential vote. Now I’m more confident in this.”

No itinerary has been finalised for the China-Taiwan talks, but newspapers here have said they will be held in Taipei late this month or in early November, with the focus on cargo flights and shipping links. afp

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