Q: How do you reassure Taiwanese that your government is not going to sell them out to the Chinese?If you were worried about Ma's accommodationist leaning toward Beijing, would this answer make you feel any better? I mean, seriously, now.A: Several major newspapers and institutions have conducted polls. The majority support what the government did. They also supported the result of all the negotiations… Even before Mr. Chen arrived, opinion polls showed that 65% of people welcomed him. But Taiwan is already a fully democratized society. Different people do have different views. Those who went to the street to demonstrate – some of them said that we are selling out Taiwan. But when we ask them, Could you just tell us in what sense did we sell out Taiwan, no one can answer. When we make the air transport more convenient – is that a sellout? When we improve the postal service to make special delivery possible is that a sellout?
Once Taiwan became a democratic society you hear different voices. I have already made it clear that my door is open to the opposition leader (Tsai Ing Wen). I hope I could meet with her … I consider myself a democratic leader willing to engage the opposition on issues of mutual concern or issues that would help our country.
Also, the name of Hu Jintao appears in the interview too. May I remind you of this?
RELATED POST: Time magazine's interview with Ma (August 2008). I had followed the interview with a rant. I also said that Ma's happy-clappy emphasis on students was foolish. I have a follow-up. Remember how in the August interview, Ma was babbling on about how students would (more or less) vindicate his approach? Wake up and smell the jasmine tea, pal, because last time I checked, Taiwanese students who are in the news are the ones who are protesting against YOU.
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