China, Taiwan presidents set for first meeting since 1949
The presidents of China and Taiwan are to meet and discuss cross-strait issues in a first such meeting between the two countries’ leaders since the end of the Chinese civil war.
China and Taiwan are separated by the Taiwan Strait in the west Pacific Ocean. They split in 1949 following a civil war, but Beijing still regards the island as part of its territory. Ties between the two neighbors started to improve since 2008 when Ma took office; however, the island still regards China as a threat.
According to a statement released by Taiwan’s presidential office on Tuesday, Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou will travel to Singapore to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday.
The trip was to "consolidate cross-strait peace and maintain the status quo" but Ma would not sign any agreement or issue any joint statements with China,” read a part of the statement.
The minister of China's Taiwan Affairs Office, Zhang Zhijun, has confirmed a meeting between the two sides but said that “status and the title of the leaders of the two sides would be agreed upon by both sides.”
"This is a pragmatic arrangement made in accordance with the one-China principle under the situation where the political dispute across the Taiwan Strait has yet to be resolved," Zhang added.
Zhang’s office said in a statement, "The mainland's attitude on a meeting between leaders from both sides of the Taiwan Strait is positive and consistent.”
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