Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou (left) announced on Sunday that his current "premier", Wu Den-yih, will be his running mate when he seeks re-election as "president" next year. [Wang Yuanmao / for China Daily]

TAIPEI - Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou announced on Sunday that his current "premier" will be his running mate when he seeks re-election as "president" next year.

The choice of Wu Den-yih as his potential "vice-president" appears to be aimed at countering criticism that Ma failed to deal with local issues while trying to bolster ties with the mainland. It is also likely an attempt to win support in the pro-independence heartland in southern Taiwan, where Wu has extensive connections.

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Wu, 63, is widely thought of as a quick-witted, experienced administrator of local affairs. Before he became "premier", he was a magistrate in his native central Taiwanese county of Nantou, then mayor of the southern city of Kaohsiung, and later a lawmaker.

Wu became "premier" in 2009 after his predecessor stepped down following criticism that he responded inadequately to a typhoon that claimed around 700 lives. The bad press also hit Ma's approval ratings.

The "cabinet" under Wu has been known to respond swiftly to public opinion and Wu himself is seen as a sharp foil to opposition lawmakers' criticism of government policies.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Ma praised Wu for being effective in communicating with the public and dealing with people's needs.

"'Premier' Wu often faces people and local officials directly to resolve issues," Ma said. "Because he served as a mayor and a magistrate for a long time, he really understands what the public needs at the grass-roots level."

Wu had an approval rating of 38.5 percent in May, higher than Ma's 33.9 percent, according to the Global Views Monthly research center. His disapproval rating stood at 48.2 percent, according to the May poll of 1,002 people that had a margin of error of 3.1 percent.

In late May, incumbent "vice-president" Vincent Siew announced he would not seek a second term and would stand aside to give others a chance to run.

Ma, 60, will face main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen in January's election.

Tsai, 54, who separately held posts of "vice-premier" and "mainland affairs council chairwoman" during Chen Shui-bian's 2000-2008 administration, has yet to announce her running mate.

Since Ma took office in May 2008, he has bolstered ties with the mainland by signing various trade deals - including a wide-ranging tariff-reduction pact - and has significantly reduced tension between the sides.

Ma, who is also KMT chairman, returned his party to power after the DPP's eight years in office saw increased tension with the mainland, Taiwan's largest trading partner.

However, critics say Ma's programs benefit the rich at the expense of the poor and opposition parties claim his mainland initiatives will eventually hurt Taiwan's economy.

Support for Ma's initiatives has faded during the past two years, with 32.3 percent of respondents in the Global Views Monthly poll last month considering his cross-Straits policy a "failure" compared with 24.2 percent in May 2009. Some 49.9 percent viewed it as a "success", down from the 53.4 percent it was two years earlier.

China Daily - Agencies