President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) is to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on Saturday in Singapore, the first meeting of leaders from the two nations since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949.
The two governments announced the meeting, which comes just weeks ahead of the Jan. 16 presidential and legislative elections, just before midnight on Tuesday.
The announcement came just about an hour after the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times' sister newspaper) reported on its Web site that a meeting had been arranged for Saturday, when Xi is in Singapore for his first official visit to the city-state.
The official announcement said that Ma and Xi would discuss cross-strait ties, but would not sign any agreements, nor issue any joint statements.
The Presidential Office yesterday said the purpose of Ma’s trip to Singapore was to "maintain the ‘status quo.’"
It also said that Ma would hold an international news conference tomorrow morning to explain the meeting to the public.
China's Taiwan Affairs Office Minister Zhang Zhijun (張志軍) said the two men are expected to have dinner after their meeting and would address each other as "mister," according to the Xinhua news agency.
The meeting came about after Chinese and Taiwanese officials met in Guangzhou, China, last month, Zhang added, referring to his meeting with Mainland Affairs Council Minister Andrew Hsia (夏立言) on Oct. 14.
At the time, that meeting was expected to be the last high-level cross-strait interaction of Ma’s final term in office.
The surprise announcement stunned the nation, and while the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) hailed the move, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday said the manner in which the meeting was announced had damaged democracy.
"I believe people across the country, like me, felt very surprised," she told reporters.
"A meeting of the leaders of the two sides across the [Taiwan] Strait is a great event, involving the dignity and national interests of Taiwan, but to let the public know in such a hasty and chaotic manner is damaging to Taiwan's democracy," she said.
DPP spokesman Cheng Yun-peng (鄭運鵬)said the timing of the meeting was suspect.
"How can people not think of this as a political operation intended to affect the election?" he said.
Cheng said that cross-strait issues are beyond the consideration of political parties, and no political maneuvers should be involved. He said that the timing of meeting gave the impression of a political maneuver.
The meeting also goes against Ma's promise that such a summit would only occur when the nation needs it, the public supports it and the legislature supervises its process, Cheng added.
Presidential Office Secretary-General Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權) yesterday said that Ma was willing to report to lawmakers after his Singapore trip, if invited by the Legislative Yuan to do so.
Tseng made the comments after he and Premier Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國) briefed Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) on the upcoming meeting.
Wang said that he was not aware of the Ma-Xi meeting until reporters telephoned him for comments late last night.
Wang said the legislature supports any dialog between Taipei and Beijing that strengthens peaceful development across the Taiwan Strait and stabilizes the regional situation, but that any such discussions should be conducted on an equal footing.
KMT caucus whip Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) said all KMT lawmakers have voiced support for the meeting, which he said is expected to set up a platform for Taiwan and China to continue such summits in the future.
This story has been updated since it was first published.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS