Ma Ying-jeou and Xi Jinping. Picture by Wong Maye AP.
Singapore, Saturday, 7 November 2015: The leaders of China and Taiwan met for the first time since the country’s split amidst civil war 66 years ago, and although no concrete agreement resulted, both hailed the meeting as a sign of a new stability in relations.
PRC President Xi Jinping and Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou came together on neutral ground in the Southeast Asian city-state of Singapore, walking toward each other in a hotel ballroom in front of a backdrop of yellow (traditional color of Chinese emperors).
https://youtu.be/qGZqJldB4PY
The two men smiled broadly as they shook hands for more than one minute, turning slightly to the side to accommodate a host of photojournalists in the ballroom. No national flags were present (a necessary work-around to overcome China’s refusal to recognise Taiwan’s sovereignty or its government’s formal legitimacy), and the two men were referred to merely as “Mr Xi” and “Mr Ma” to further reduce the chances of bruised sensitivities.
Ma said, “Both sides should respect each other’s values and way of life,” while adding that relations between the sides were “the most peaceful and stable they have ever been.”
When they split in 1949, both sides aspired to absorb the other, with each claiming the mantle of the only legitimate government of all of China, Taiwan included. Communist Party-ruled China still demands that Taiwan eventually be unified with the mainland, by force if necessary, while many citizens of democratic Taiwan increasingly prefer to simply maintain the separate status the island has carved out over more than six decades.
Following his news conference, Ma joined Xi at a banquet at the upscale Shangri-La Hotel, where the meeting was held.
For more information:
President of the PRC: http://www.forbes.com/profile/xi-jinping/
President of China (Taiwan): http://english.president.gov.tw/Default.aspx?tabid=454
The historical meeting: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGZqJldB4PY
