Taiwan's Ma calls on China to remove missiles

Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou called on Beijing Monday to scrap the growing number of missiles aimed at the island, the South China Morning Post reported. Ma has made improving ties with the mainland a top political priority, and has made political and economic gestures, such as refusing to grant a visa to Uighur activist Ribeya Kadeer and opening up Taiwan for mainland investment. However, Ma appears to asking for quid pro quo in terms of military stance. "If we are to negotiate a peace agreement with the mainland, certainly we expect them to do something about those missiles, either to remove them or dismantle them," Ma said. Ma has also called for Taiwan to diversify its export markets to mitigate a growing trade dependence on China, which some Taiwan analysts have said would allow for an "economic takeover" of the island.