Ma–Xi meeting

Ma Ying-jeou, leader of the Republic of China (left) and Xi Jinping, leader of the People's Republic of China (right)

File:社會民主黨於國會外呼籲停止無社會共識的臺灣總統馬英九會見中國習近平TAIWAN's Social Democratic Party outside the Congress Demand to Stop President Ma's Plan to Meet CCP's Xi.jpg

Sign outside the Legislative Yuan protesting the Ma–Xi meeting

The 2015 Ma–Xi Meeting (simplified Chinese: 马习会; traditional Chinese: 馬習會; pinyin: Mǎ Xí Huì) also known as the Xi–Ma Meeting (simplified Chinese: 习马会; traditional Chinese: 習馬會; pinyin: Xí Mǎ Huì) is a proposed meeting between the leader of the People's Republic of China (PRC) Xi Jinping and leader of the Republic of China (ROC) Ma Ying-jeou. Details of the meeting were leaked by Taiwanese newspaper Liberty Times on 3 November 2015 and details were officially confirmed over the following days; it is scheduled to take place at Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore on 7 November. The meeting would be the first between the leader of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the People's Republic of China (Mainland China) since the end of the Chinese Civil War (Chinese Communist Revolution) in 1949.

Background

The original idea of the meeting was from the Ma Ying-jeou administration of Taiwan. The one on November 7 was proposed by Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) Director Zhang Zhijun during cross-strait talk with Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Andrew Hsia in Guangzhou, China in October 2015. Initially, Minister Hsia proposed the meeting to take place during the APEC Philippines 2015 in Manila, the Philippines. However, Zhang found it to be unsuitable. Later Hsia suggested the meeting to take place in Singapore, the place where the Wang-Koo summit was held on 27–29 April 1993, the first cross-strait negotiation after the so-called 1992 Consensus a year earlier in British Hong Kong.

Preparation

Due to the political dispute between the two governments, both officials have agreed for ROC leader and PRC leader (Chinese: 两岸领导人) to address each other as "mister" and that both will participate within their capacity as Leader of Taiwan and Leader of Mainland China respectively.

The ROC Presidential Office stated that the intention of President Ma for this meeting is to consolidate peace and maintain the status quo. President Ma will be joined by Presidential Office Secretary-General Tseng Yung-chuan and Deputy Secretary-General Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑), National Security Council Secretary-General Kao Hua-chu and advisor Chiu Kun-Shuan, MAC Minister Andrew Hsia and Deputy Minister Wu Mei-hung.

Meeting chronology

On 5 November 2015, Communist Party of China (CPC) General Secretary and President Xi departed from Beijing to Vietnam as his first state visit to the nation at the invitation of Communist Party of Vietnam General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng and President Trương Tấn Sang.

Reactions

Republic of China/Taiwan

Members of the Taiwan Solidarity Union protest the Ma–Xi meeting outside the Presidential Office by drawing attention to Ma's low approval ratings

Members of the New Power Party outside the Legislative Yuan protesting the meeting by demanding a recall election for President Ma

Members of the Free Taiwan Party, Social Democratic Party & Green Party Taiwan protest the meeting outside the Legislative Yuan

During an international news conference prior to the meeting, President Ma said that two sides of the Taiwan Strait should continue to mitigate their animosity, avoid deviating from the right path and expand exchanges and cooperation. He mentioned that the meeting is not for his legacy before he step down in 2016 as President or for improving the popularity of KMT, but for the good of the next generation. Foreign Minister David Lin said that Ma-Xi meeting will focus on cross-strait peace and stability. The government will make sure that the meeting will not involve any political negotiations and will not lead to any downgrading of Taiwan's status. It will be held under the principle of equality and dignity with proper courtesy.

The Kuomintang described the meeting as a "milestone" in Cross-Strait relations.

Presidential candidate and incumbent chairwoman of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Tsai Ing-wen called the proposed meeting a manipulation of the January elections and labeled the decision-making process as opaque. She added that the meeting has triggered questions and doubts from the public because people have lost confidence in the government when it comes to cross-strait exchanges.

The youth division of the Taiwan Solidarity Union, the currently third largest political party in Taiwan, also threw colored smoke bombs over the cordons surrounding the Presidential Office Building.

Third-force party leaders oppose the meeting. New Power Party (NPP) Chairman Dr. Huang Kuo-chang accused Ma of attempting to burnish his legacy at the expense of changing the direction of national security policy, and trampling on Taiwan’s democracy and sovereignty by bypassing the Congress. He argued that Ma's trip would violate his 2011 promises in which Ma said that he would not meet with Chinese leaders if re-elected. Social Democratic Party Chairman Dr. Fan Yun said “Ma doesn’t have any mandate for surprising us with this meeting — ever since last year’s Sunflower Movement, it has been clear that the handling of cross-strait relations by the governing party is not trusted by the people.” Green Party Taiwan co-convener Lee Ken-cheng added it was not clear whether Ma had made concessions to arrange the meeting. And a meeting about 70 days before the Presidential and Congressional elections, it is obvious that China wants to use this to interfere with Taiwan’s elections.”

The Chinese National Federation of Industries, Taipei Chamber of Commerce, and Allied Association for Science Park Industries, all of which are Taiwanese business organizations, expressed support for the upcoming meeting, which is expected to help improve Taiwan's economic prospects.

People's Republic of China

TAO Director Zhang Zhijun said that the scheduled meeting between the two sides is a milestone in cross-strait relations, would help enhance trust across the Taiwan Strait and consolidate common political background, and the meeting would also push forward peaceful development of cross-strait relations and safeguard peace and stability in the region.

Singapore

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the meeting is a milestone in the history of cross-Taiwan-strait relations and that Singapore is happy to facilitate and be the venue for the direct dialogue between the two sides, noting Singapore's close and longstanding friend for both Taiwan and Mainland China.

United States

United States State Department spokesperson Elizabeth Trudeau stated that the U.S. expected "constructive dialogue" to occur, though no statements or agreements are expected to be announced upon the conclusion of the meeting. China expert and former National Security Council member Evan Medeiros credited the warming of relations that led to the proposed meeting to US President Barack Obama's "pivot to Asia."

See also

• Cross-Strait relations