Taipei, March 24, SPA -- Taiwan president-elect Ma Ying-jeou said Monday that he wants to visit the United States and Japan to boost ties with Taiwan's two most important allies. Ma expressed the wish while receiving US diplomat Stephen Young and in an interview with the Japanese press, DPA reported. Young - director of the American Institute in Taiwan, which looksafter US diplomatic interests on the island in the absence of fulldiplomatic relations - called on Ma Monday, becoming the firstforeign diplomat to meet Ma after he won Saturday's presidentialelection. "We congratulate him on his winning the election," Young toldreporters after the meeting. "We want to upgrade ties, and theUS-Taiwan relationship is very important." In an interview with the Japanese press on Sunday, Ma alsoexpressed the wish to visit Japan, which, like the United States, hasclose trade ties with Taiwan despite a lack of official diplomaticties. Ma told Japanese reporters that he hopes to visit Japan before heis sworn in May 20. Immediately after winning election, Ma pledged to improve Taiwan's ties with China, which have been strained under current,independence-leaning President Chen Shui-bian.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/539340