Taipei  - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou Sunday vowed to stabilize relations with China and avoid making the Taiwan Strait that divides the island and the mainland a killing field anymore.

"In addition to developing stable relations with the mainland, the government should strive to turn the once killing field of the Taiwan Strait into a peaceful and prosperous region," Ma said.

Taipei - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou Wednesday defended his government's decision to expand US beef imports and assured the public of safety in consuming the meat.

"The government will never use the health of our nationals to exchange for (interests of) any countries," Ma, said in his first official comment after the beef-import announcement Friday triggered an uproar against his administration.

Taipei  - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou declared Sunday that Taiwan would "use the biggest sincerity" to seek lasting peace with China.

Ma spoke at a ceremony on Kinmen (Quemoy) Island marking the 60th anniversary of an historic battle in which the Chinese Nationalist forces crushed Chinese Communist troops' advances toward Taiwan.

Kinmen is an islet in the Taiwan Strait, a few kilometres off China's south-east coast.

Taipei  - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou said Saturday that the island would never sacrifice its national sovereignty or defence in developing peaceful ties with China, once a bitter political rival.

The president, who has made mending ties with China a priority, also called on Beijing to remain patient and face up to practical realities to build mutual trust and find common ground for the sake of achieving cross-strait peace.

Taipei  - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou, using the phrase "blood is thicker than water," on Monday thanked China for its aid to Taiwan's typhoon victims.

"Eight-five countries have donated cash or relief material. China sent 1,000 units of pre-fabricated houses. As of today, China's donation has surpassed 5 billion Taiwan dollars (151 million US dollars), making it the biggest sum among foreign donations," Ma said at the memorial meeting for the 758 victims of Typhoon Morakot which hit Taiwan on August 8.

Beijing  - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou's decision on Thursday to allow a visit by the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, is "unwise" and could damage ties with mainland China, a leading scholar said.

"The Dalai Lama is not a purely religious figure. He is a political figure who is involved in splitting the motherland," said Chen Xiancai, deputy director of the Taiwan research centre at Xiamen University in south-eastern China.

Taipei  - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou on Saturday apologized for the government's slow response to mudslides brought on by Typhoon Morakot as survivors began to hold memorial ceremonies for the dead nearly a week after the storm.

"The rescue effort could have been better, faster, but we failed to do that," Ma said while inspecting Nantou County, one of the disaster areas. "We apologize."

Taipei  - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou said Thursday that Taipei welcomes foreign aid for the areas hit by Typhoon Morakot last week.

"We welcome foreign countries' aid, but first we have to find out what kind of aid we need. For example, right now we need large helicopters which can airlift earth-movers and prefabricated houses," he said when visiting disaster-hit areas in Tainan county, south Taiwan.

Taipei  - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou on Tuesday vowed to host successful Deaflympics in September because the event can help end the island's international isolation.

"The Deaflympics will take place one month from now and we are excited. It is a great honor for Taiwan to host the Deaflympics because it is part of the Olympic events," he said while receiving Rotary International's President John Kenny.

Taipei  - Nearly half of Taiwanese want President Ma and Chinese President Hu Jintao to meet and discuss improving cross- strait ties, a survey showed Tuesday.

According to the China Times's telephone survey of 816 adults, 47 per cent of those interviewed want Ma to meet Hu, while 16 per cent objected and 37 per cent were undecided.

Taipei - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou said Wednesday that he is in no hurry to meet his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao, amid warming cross-strait ties.

"The two sides of the Taiwan Strait have just begun to break the ice, and such a meeting would be smoother only when the ice has melted and the obstacles have been reduced," he said in an interview with Taipei's United Evening News.

Taipei  - Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou was on Sunday elected chairman of the ruling Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang (KMT), with the outcome of the uncontested poll set to boost his political power.

His election is also expected to create the possibility of a meeting between Ma and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao in the future, analysts and Taiwanese media said.

The lone candidate in the race, the 58-year-old Ma captured 285,354 votes, or 92.51 per cent of the vote cast, slightly less than the 97.09 per cent obtained by former party chairman Lien Chan, who also ran unchallenged in 2001.

Taipei - Most Taiwan residents want President Ma Ying-jeou to meet with his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao, believing a meeting could ease cross-strait hostility, a magazine survey showed on Monday.

According to the telephone poll of 1,005 people by the Global Views Monthly, 58 per cent of the interviewees thought it was necessary for Ma and Hu to meet, 27 per cent thought it unnecessary and 15 per cent did not know or had no opinion.

The magazine said the survey results show they realize the urgency of repairing cross-strait ties.

Taipei  - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou does not want to meet China's President Hu Jintao in his capacity as Taiwan ruling party's chairman, according to an interview published Tuesday.

In an interview with the Commercial Times daily, Ma said that his running for chairmanship of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) was not in order to pave the way for a meeting with Hu, who is also secretary general of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

"The time for leaders of both sides to meet has not come yet, and I have never considered becoming the KMT chairman so that I can meet him in such a capacity," he said.

Taipei  - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou has rejected a plea by his predecessor Chen Shui-bian to lift a court order that bars Chen's daughter from leaving the island, a spokesman said Wednesday.

"President Ma said, as a father, he fully understood the feeling of ex-president Chen, but the ex-president had been a state leader before and must know that a president must stay out of any individual court cases to uphold judicial independence," presidential spokesman Wang Yu-chi said.

Taipei - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou Thursday said he would keep the cooperation platform between the Nationalist Party or Kuomintang (KMT) and the Communist Party of China (CPC) after he became KMT chairman.

"The KMT-CPC cooperation platform will be continued after I am elected KMT chairman, and I hope not just the KMT, but other parties (in Taiwan) can join us in communicating with the CPC in the future," he said.

Taipei  - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou will make his second visit in two months to Latin America to cement ties with Taipei's diplomatic allies, an official said Friday.

Ma will depart on June 29 for a tour of Panama, Nicaragua and Honduras, Foreign Minister Fransisco Ou told reporters.

The main purpose of Ma's visit to to attend the inauguration of Panama''s president-elect Ricardo Martinelli, but Ma will also boost trade ties with these three allies, he said. The delegation will return to Taipei on July 7.

Taipei - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou Wednesday announced his bid to run for chairmanship of the ruling Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang (KMT), to facilitate pushing through his policies.

The announcement drew harsh criticism from the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which questioned the credibility of the president and his real intentions.

Taipei - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou Wednesday announced his bid to run for chairmanship of the ruling Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang (KMT), to facilitate pushing through his policies.

The announcement drew harsh criticism from the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which questioned the credibility of the president and his real intentions.

Taipei - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou left Tuesday on a visit to Belize, Guatemala and El Salvador as he sought to shore up ties with three of the 23 countries that diplomatically recognize Taiwan.

The main purpose of his trip is to attend the June 1 inauguration of El Salvador president-elect Mauricio Funes, but he is to also visit Belize and Guatemala to strengthen relations.

Before his departure, Ma thanked Taipei's diplomatic allies for their support for Taiwan's return to the United Nations and its various organizations.