Taiwan president kicks off re-election bid

Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou launched his re-election bid on Saturday, citing the island’s economic growth and better ties with China as reasons why he should stay in office, Bloomberg reported. Cross-strait relations are at their warmest in more than 60 years, as Ma has focused on economic issues and abandoned his predecessor’s pro-independence views. Taiwan’s economy grew at a 23-year-high pace of 10.82% in 2010, according to a statement on the Kuomintang’s website. Ma was the only candidate to register with his Kuomintang party for the next presidential term. The Democratic Progressive Party will decide its candidate to oppose Ma by April 28.