Ma Ying-jeou, Chairman of the Kuomintang Party, has called on the Taiwan authorities to normalize relations across the Taiwan Straits in an interview on Thursday night with the Central News Agency of Taiwan.

He said Taiwan authorities should recognize the academic credentials of the mainland, allow mainland students to study in Taiwan's universities, promote normalization of cross-straits economic and trade relations and allow mainland enterprises to invest in Taiwan.

Ma, also mayor of Taipei, said more and more Taiwan students are receiving education on the mainland and that it is detrimental to Taiwan if the authorities refuse to accept mainland academic credentials.

He said the Taiwan authorities should also allow mainland students to study in Taiwan's universities. He believes this should help to reduce hostility and increase friendship between the two sides and contribute to absolute peace in the Taiwan Straits.

Ma said neglecting economic and trade relations with the mainland, the stance of the Taiwan authorities, will not help to repair relations. It would only influence Taiwan's role in East Asia's economic integration after 2010.

Ma said currently Taiwan exports large amounts of products to the mainland. In the future, it could increase imports of mainland products and make use of mainland resources and talents to help Taiwan's growth.

He said Taiwan authorities should allow mainland enterprises to invest in Taiwan and to allow capital to flow back into Taiwan. From the long term perspective, Taiwan should consider employing hi-tech personnel from the mainland.

The mainland has high-quality scientific and technological personnel, said Ma, but it is relatively weak in commercialization capabilities. Taiwan has advantages to employ first-rate mainland talents.

(Xinhua News Agency January 28, 2006)