President Ma remarked that since taking office in 2008 he has strived to promote reconciliation between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, and his administration has sought to pursue peaceful development in cross-strait relations based on the principles of "no unification, no independence, and no use of force" under the framework of the ROC Constitution. In this process, he has looked to the "1992 Consensus," i.e. "one China, respective interpretations" as the basis of ties between the two sides. At the same time, changes have been seen in Taiwan's external relations. The president pointed out that the ROC and mainland China no longer engage in a contentious bid to woo diplomatic allies, wasting resources in the process. This, he said, has enabled the ROC's relations with its diplomatic allies to remain quite stable.
The president explained that under the condition that bilateral alliances are not impacted, the ROC does not oppose its diplomatic partners developing non-official economic and trade relations with mainland China. He specifically stated that over the past four years the government has proactively promoted the policy of "viable diplomacy," which on the one hand has improved the cross-strait relationship and reduced tensions in the Taiwan Strait, while on the other hand has enabled the ROC's alliance with its diplomatic partners to develop smoothly. This has created a virtuous cycle via which positive developments in cross-strait relations are conducive to fostering Taiwan's international relationships.
【Source: Office of the President】