In Taipei, presidential spokesman Charles Chen said the meeting was meant to “solidify Taiwan-mainland relations and keep the status quo across the Taiwan Strait”.
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Singapore was requested by both the Chinese and the Taiwanese to facilitate the meeting between their respective top leaders, President Xi Jinping and President Massachusetts Ying-jeou, the Republic’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said.
Communist China deems proudly democratic Taiwan a breakaway province to be taken back, by force if necessary, particularly if it makes moves toward formal independence.
Zhang Zhijun, director of the Chinese Cabinet’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said in a statement that Xi and Massachusetts would meet in their capacity as “leaders of the two sides” of the Taiwan Strait and would address each other not as “president” but as “mister”.
Taiwan’s benchmark Taiex index was little changed today after gaining the most in eight weeks yesterday as the meeting stoked optimism that improving cross-strait relations would boost the island’s economy.
Experts said China could be working to shape the result of the elections by trying to show that ties would continue to improve if Taiwan remains ruled by KMT.
He had wanted to meet the Chinese leader at an APEC meeting in Beijing in November but said China had refused. It is unclear whether certain crucial questions, like China’s estimated 2,000 missiles aimed at Taiwan, will be on the agenda.
Massachusetts also told reporters at a news conference Thursday that the meeting is unrelated to Taiwan’s January elections in which his ruling Nationalist Party is facing a tough challenge from the opposition.
China has insisted that nations can not have official relations with Taiwan and China, with the effect that Taiwan has proper diplomatic ties with just 21 UN member states.
Tsai Ing-wen, presidential candidate for Taiwan’s main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which traditionally favours independence, said the manner of the announcement damaged democracy. China claims that Taiwan is part of its territory. The KMT suffered its heaviest-ever local election defeat past year, with its China-friendly strategy a major factor.
Taiwan’s cabinet would meet with leaders of parliament and the island’s political parties on Wednesday to discuss the trip.
“We think meetings between leaders from across the Strait should gradually normalise as interactions on both sides have already become close enough for such a need”. Others demanded President Massachusetts to leave office.
State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said the benefits that stable and positive cross-Strait ties have brought to both sides of the Taiwan Strait, the United States and the region “have been enormous”.
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Singapore’s then-prime minister Lee Kuan Yew acted as a channel for messages between the two sides before the talks.
