Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) left on Monday for an 11-day trip to China, where sources said he is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on Monday next week.
Ma, president from 2008 to 2016, last year became the first former president to visit China.
Ma met Xi in Singapore in late 2015 for a landmark summit shortly before President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) won election.
Photo: Yao Chieh-hsiu, Taipei Times
Ma and China's government have not confirmed the meeting with Xi, which has been widely reported in local media.
Three sources familiar with Ma's trip, speaking on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the issue, told Reuters it was expected to take place in Beijing on Monday next week.
"This is a trip of peace as well as of friendship," Ma told reporters in brief remarks at the airport before flying to Shenzhen in Guangdong Province.
Ma added that he hoped to convey a message that Taiwanese love peace and hope to avoid war.
China's Taiwan Affairs Office, which calls him "Mr Ma Ying-jeou" rather than former president, would only say last week when asked about a meeting with Xi that it wished Ma a smooth trip.
Ma's office said while in Guangdong he is to visit Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD and Tencent, the world's largest video game company and operator of China's WeChat messaging platform.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old