President Ma Ying-jeou said Monday that Taiwan will continue to strengthen diplomatic relations with Kiribati but will not oppose the west-central Pacific ally's seeking to develop unofficial ties with China. 'We (Taiwan and China) have developed tacit agreement that we will not steal each other's diplomatic allies, ' Ma told visiting Kiribati President Anote Tong at the Presidential Office. Ma said cross-Taiwan Strait relations have become much warmer since he took office in 2008, a development he said has not only benefited the people of both sides and helped ease regional tensions but has also allowed Taiwan to adopt its modus vivendi approach toward pragmatic diplomacy. He told Tong, whose ancestors came from today's Guangdong Province, that Taiwan has not interfered with Chinese fishing companies' bid to enter into fishery cooperation with their Kiribati counterparts. As a diplomatic ally, Taiwan is now building an international airport for Kiribati, to give the island nation quicker access to the rest of the world, Ma said. Meanwhile, he added, a plan has been launched to allow Kiribati students to learn English and Chinese in Taiwanese colleges. Earlier in the day, Ma attended a red carpet ceremony at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Plaza, where Tong was welcomed with a military salute. For his part, Tong reiterated that Taiwan is an important member of the global community and said Kiribati will spare no efforts to help Taiwan join major international organizations. Tong assumed office in early 2003 and a few months later, the nation established formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. 