It is believed that the Xi administration’s aim in holding the meeting with the Taiwanese leader is to firmly establish the “one China principle” as a basic assumption for bilateral ties and put pressure on the DPP to accept it as a condition for continued dialogue between the two sides.
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China’s Xi Jiping and Taiwan’s Massachusetts Ying-jeou shook hands in Singapore in the first such meeting between leaders of the two sides since Taiwan broke away from communist-ruled China in 1949.
“Both sides should respect each other’s values and way of life to ensure mutual benefit and a win-win situation”, he said.
Activists protest against the meeting between Taiwan’s President Massachusetts Ying-jeou and Chinese President Xi Jinping in front of the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, Taiwan on November 4, 2015. Leaders of political rivals China and Taiwan met on Saturday for the first time in more than 60 years.
“No force can pull us apart, because we are brothers connected by our flesh, even if our bones are broken”.
China, which regards Taiwan as a renegade province, has long pursued a goal of reuniting it with the mainland.
“Let’s plan and work together for the rebirth of the Chinese nation on both sides”, said Zhang Zhijun, head of the mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office, in statement after the meeting.
Said Dr Patrick Cronin, senior director of the Asia-Pacific security programme at the Centre for a New American Security: “The USA supports cross-strait diplomacy but does not want a lame duck president to force political preconditions on his democratically elected successor”.
There were also overnight demonstrations at Taiwan’s parliament building, and 27 people were arrested as protesters scuffled with police and tried to burn images of the two leaders at the capital’s airport as Mr Massachusetts departed. Many politicians, particularly those in Ma’s political party, follow the so-named One China policy, as well as the fact that China has made threats that it would regain the island if it ever attempts a formal split.
The Taiwanese also asked for China to do something about the missiles pointing at them from across the Strait of Taiwan.
The KMT suffered a crushing defeat in local elections a year ago, a result that was widely seen as a rejection of Mr Ma’s push for closer ties with China. Keep in mind the circumstances of the meeting: Not coincidentally, putting the DPP on the back foot also reduces the potential influence of the United States through Taiwan, both directly and through engagement with close US allies South Korea and Japan.
“Taiwan did not press for two Chinas, or one China, one Taiwan, or independence for Taiwan, which would be against the Taiwanese constitution, he said”. “Taiwan itself is a part of China”.
Those who wish to push for Taiwan’s independence risk overturning the “boat of peace” and must be stopped, the main newspaper of China’s ruling Communist party said yesterday, a day after a historic meeting between China and Taiwan’s leaders.
Amid the intensified U.S.-China confrontation over the South China Sea, it could be inferred that Xi meant to use the summit to create distance between Taiwan on one side and Japan and the United States on the other.
In mainland China where president Xi has shown he is willing to break the mold when it comes to a few of the country’s most intractable problems, the event was given wall-to-wall coverage.
In remarks relayed from the conference room, Xi spoke first, praising Massachusetts, who has been president since 2008, for helping to improve relations between their two governments and reiterating China’s desire for eventual reunification.
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Taiwan’s Massachusetts says he hopes to convince Xi to ease his island’s diplomatic isolation.
