By IANS
New Delhi : Taiwanese opposition leader and presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou, whose party enjoys good relations with Beijing, Tuesday called for enhancing trade and investment between India and Taiwan and underlined the need for Taipei to seek permanent peace with Beijing.
"We are here to rediscover India and let India rediscover Taiwan," said Ma here in the first visit by a leader of Kuomintang (KMT) or Nationalist Party to India in the last 60 years.
"I come here to seek a new beginning with an old friend. We could prepare for even closer ties between India and Taiwan," said Ma, the presidential candidate of his party for the 2008 presidential polls. He spoke in glowing terms about the transformation of India into a new age economy.
"There is enough room for India and Taiwan to develop trade and investment between them," said Ma while alluding to the steadily increasing business ties between India and Taiwan.
Bilateral trade between India and Taiwan, the hub of computer manufacturing and LCD units, is estimated to be around $3 billion.
In a significant statement that is likely to go down well with Beijing, which is watching his two-day visit to India closely, Ma said Taiwan believes in one-China principle and if elected, he will revive formal negotiations to seek permanent peace with Beijing.
Ma also took positive view of growing economic and strategic relations between India and China and said Taiwan, with its vibrant economy and a healthy appetite for foreign trade, can play a "not so significant role in this process."
India does not have any diplomatic ties with Taiwan and believes in one-China principle. In view of Beijing's sensitivity over the issue, New Delhi has sought to downplay Ma's trip and has tried to project it as a private visit.
Ma is expected to meet the chairperson of the ruling coalition Sonia Gandhi and Leader of the Opposition L.K. Advani before heading for Singapore Wednesday.
Although Ma would not have foreseen it, his visit comes at a time when China has upped its ante over its claims over India's northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh.
Ma's party is known for its pro-unification stance and enjoys good relations with Beijing. However, in a calculated position aimed as much at domestic constituency back home and Beijing, he advocated peaceful dialogue and not confrontation between Taiwan and mainland China to resolve issues of sovereignty.
In a pragmatic vein, he said both sides are increasingly coming around to maintaining the status quo with Beijing emphasizing less on unification and focusing on the prevention of de jure independence of Taiwan. "Mutual recognition is impossible. Mutual non-denial may offer the way out," Ma, a former popular mayor of Taipei, said.
Taiwan is officially recognized by 24 countries in the world.
"Maintaining good relations with mainland is very important," Ma said while alluding to $100 billion trade between Taiwan and mainland China.
The time has, however, come not to put all one's eggs in the basket, he said, adding that Taiwan plans to expand his trade with countries across the board, specially with rising economic giants like India.