Taiwan's new president offers China dialogue

By Ralph Jennings

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan's new president took office on Tuesday with a historic offer to reopen dialogue with China, which claims the island as its territory, but pledged to maintain Taipei's existing self-rule and separate international profile.

Ma Ying-jeou, 57, the Nationalist Party (KMT) candidate and a former Taipei mayor, took over from Chen Shui-bian of the rival Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), beginning a four-year term after his landslide win in March.

Chen and Ma shook hands and then walked to the presidential office for the official handover, with a portrait of Sun Yat-sen, founder of modern China, and Taiwan's flag in the background.

China has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since 1949, when Mao Zedong's Communists won the Chinese civil war and Chiang Kai-shek's KMT forces fled to the island. Beijing has vowed to bring Taiwan under its control, by force if necessary, if it declares independence.

The two sides have not talked since the 1990s.

"The normalisation of economic and cultural relations is the first step to a win-win solution," Ma said in his inaugural speech at a packed arena, with 540 foreign dignitaries attending. "Accordingly, we are ready to resume consultations."

But in his speech, unseen on Chinese state-run TV, Ma pledged neither to seek independence nor unify with China.

"Taiwan doesn't just want security and prosperity," he said. "It wants dignity. Only when Taiwan is no longer being isolated in the international arena can cross-Strait relations move forward with confidence."