(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou has said relations with China should quickly get back on track after a rocky six months, adding support to Beijing's recent call to set aside differences.
Chinese President Xi Jinping last Sunday called on Taiwan to set aside differences after strained ties that saw Beijing rebuke the island for supporting pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.
"We believe that (cross-strait relations) should rapidly get back on track," Ma said, according to a transcript of an interview with Japanese media released yesterday.
Ma characterised the China-Taiwan relationship in the past six months as being "a bit tumultuous", said the transcript on the presidential office website.
But he said the two sides would continue talks under a broad cross-strait economic framework and on talks to allow mainland air travellers to transfer in Taiwan.
Ma's remarks follow the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) meeting in Beijing, where the Chinese president held meetings with senior Taiwanese officials. Ma and his predecessors have never been able to attend an Apec summit, despite the island being a member, due to arm-twisting by Beijing. Taiwan's top delegate to previous Apec meetings have been either business leaders or retirees.
Ma riled China last month when he urged Beijing to move toward a more democratic style of development and reiterated his support for demonstrators in Chinese-ruled Hong Kong who were calling for full democracy.
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