China-Taiwan Presidents meet: Issues
on the table
Lintao Zhang | Pool | Reuters
Chinese President Xi Jinping
The presidents of China and Taiwan, Xi Jinping and Ma Ying-jeou, will meet and
dine in Singapore on Saturday, marking the first talks between leaders of the two
neighbors in more than six decades.
The historic event is seen as a breakthrough for a relationship that has been strained
since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949 when the Nationalist Party (KMT) was
forced by Communist Party of China to retreat to Taiwan. No armistice or peace
treaty has ever signed to mark the end of the conflict.
Here are the major issues that are in focus at the landmark talks:
Unification
Integral to mainland's "One China" policy is the Communist Party's firm conviction
on an eventual reunification with Taiwan, which it views as a renegade province that
may be reclaimed by force if necessary.
While China has signaled that Taiwan can be governed under a "one country, two
systems" like what is in place in the former British colony of Hong Kong, Taiwan is
wary of the proposition.
After decades of martial law, young Taiwanese who grew up in a lively democracy
are also increasingly disengaged from communist China, particularly after the central
government was seen to be interfering in how Hong Kong chooses its leaders,
prompting widespread street protests in 2014.
Cross straits relations
Relations between China and Taiwan have been testy for decades, with the prospect
of a military confrontation on the Taiwan Strait a geopolitical risk for the region.
Leaders of the two territories are expected to discuss the status of this amorphous
relationship based on what is known as the "1992 Consensus", a tacit understanding
reached that year at a meeting between semi-official representatives that
acknowledges that there is only one China—although the mainland and Taiwan can
have their own interpretation of what that stands for.
On Saturday, Taiwan will emphasize its stance on the importance of maintaining the
status quo in this relationship as most Taiwanese are neither for independent rule from
China nor for reunification, said Ma at a press conference Thursday.
Taiwan presidential elections
Opposition pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party is expected to win the
election in January, throwing a spanner into improving cross straits ties cultivated
under Ma's KMT leadership.
The DPP is now accusing China of trying to influence the election by using the
meeting to signal that ties with China will improve if the pro-China KMT retains the
leadership of Taiwan. Meanwhile, Ma is seen as using the meeting to shore up
flagging support for KMT.
Sovereignty
Since taking office in 2008, Taiwan's Ma has signed a series of landmark trade and
economic agreements with China.
The mainland government however has long resisted a meeting of heads of state due
to fears that it would be seen as conferring legitimacy on the Taiwanese government.
As it stands, countries seeking diplomatic relations need to takes sides, with rising
world power China increasingly gaining the upper hand. Ma said he would raise the
issue of Taiwan's diplomatic isolation during the talks.
On Saturday, Xi and Ma will skirt around the issue of sovereignty by addressing each
other as "Mr" rather than "President".
They will also split the dinner bill, reported Reuters, citing a Taiwanese official.
Next steps
While historic, the meeting in Singapore at the Shangri-la Hotel is unlikely to
culminate in any dramatic announcements.
No agreements would be signed or joint statements agreed to, Ma's office said in a
statement
Former Singapore foreign minister George Yeo however is sanguine, saying in a
statement on Wednesday that that the meeting will "alter the psychology of cross
straits relations in a positive way for years to come" and will help the next president
of Taiwan begin his term in a better position.