Taiwan's Ma pledges greater effort to fix economy

TAIPEI (AP) - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou on Wednesday pledged greater efforts to fix the island's economy, as the island celebrates the 101st birthday of the Republic of China (ROC), its formal name.

Taiwan's economy is now seeing about a 2 per cent annual growth rate.

Mr Ma's speech offered a new strategy to deal with the economic challenge, including tightening commercial links with China, the signature plank of his presidency.

Over the past several months, Taiwan's key high-tech industry has been battered by slowing demand in Europe, North America and China, its main export market.