Ma wants to restart dialogue

TAIPEI, Taiwan, May 22 (UPI) -- Taiwan's newly installed President Ma Ying-jeou says he wants to restart bilateral talks with China on the basis of the "1992 consensus."

Ma, elected in March on a campaign to improve ties with China which claims the island nation as part of its territory, said he has no plan to visit China, Taipei Times reported. He, however, welcomed Nationalist Party Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung's visit to the mainland next week.

In the "1992 consensus" both sides agreed there is only one China but left each side to interpret its meaning. There have been no talks on the agreement in recent years.

The president said his regime would build Taiwan's defense capability but wouldn't get involved in an arms race with China.

Ma said he believes people in both China and Taiwan favor peace across the Taiwan Strait, the report said.

In Beijing, Chen Yunlin, director of China's Taiwan Affairs Office, said Thursday the peaceful development of cross-strait relations has become the common wish of both the people, China Daily reported.