Taipei - Taiwan's newly-elected President Ma Ying-jeou, under fire for speaking English to foreign guests at formal occasions, on Thursday said it is more convenient for him to speak English to foreigners.

The 57-year-old Harvard law graduate and a fluent English speaker has displayed his linguistic skills since he was sworn in on Tuesday, receiving foreign dignitaries and briefing foreign reporters in English.

Some lawmakers and newspapers criticized Ma's decision to opt for the language when he received foreign heads of state - 11 on Wednesday - arguing he should speak Chinese for the sake of national dignity.

Some critics even chided Ma for "showing off" his English.

The United Daily News quoted an unnamed official as saying that previous Taiwan presidents spoke through interpreters when receiving foreign guests for national dignity and to avoid making slips of tongue, which could be corrected by the interpreter.

"No matter how well you speak a foreign language, you cannot speak it better than your mother tongue or speak it better than the interpreter. Besides, the interpreter can act as a firewall to safeguard national interests because the president can make mistakes if he talks too fast or becomes emotional," the official said.

At a news conference on Thursday, Ma said using English when dealing with foreign guests saved time and made communication more direct. "In the end, what counts is communication," he said.

Ma promised, however, that in future he would speak Chinese for three minutes for the benefit of local media when receiving foreign guests. (dpa)