Ma Ying-jeou: Since the handover of Hong Kong to mainland China in 1997, it has been a "special administrative region" under Beijing's jurisdiction.
Though Hong Kong's Basic Law declares that it shall be governed by its people and enjoy a high degree of autonomy, the reality is that in Beijing's "one country, two systems" model, the Hong Kong "system" must bow to the will of the "one country." By contrast, the Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign, democratic nation. So the mainland-Hong Kong model can't apply to cross-strait relations.
Looking toward the future, surveys conducted by our Mainland Affairs Council show that an overwhelming majority of people in Taiwan are in favor of maintaining the status quo. As Taiwan is a democratic society based on respect for the public will, in the realm of cross-strait relations, this government will continue to abide by the principle of putting the interests of our 23 million people first and respecting their freedom of choice.
The Republic of China has been a sovereign, independent nation since its establishment in 1912, and next year will mark its centennial. It therefore does not need to pursue independence. In fact, there is no nation in the world which declares independence twice. This is the practical reality across the Taiwan Strait as well as the common understanding of the great majority of people in Taiwan, including the opposition. (Source: Christian Science Monitor, Sep 8, 2010).