By Fabian Hamacher and Ann Wang
TAOYUAN, Taiwan (Reuters) – Former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou left for China on Monday on a landmark journey, saying he hoped to result in peace and enhance relations by the interactions of younger folks.
Ma, in workplace from 2008-2016, would be the first former or present Taiwanese president to go to China because the defeated Republic of China authorities fled to Taiwan in 1949 on the finish of a civil battle with the Communists, the place it stays to at the present time.
The journey comes at a time of heightened tensions between Beijing and Taipei as China retains up navy and political stress to try to get democratic Taiwan to just accept Chinese language sovereignty.
Ma met Chinese language President Xi Jinping in Singapore in late 2015 shortly earlier than the present Taiwan president, Tsai Ing-wen, gained an election.
Talking to reporters at Taiwan’s major worldwide airport at Taoyuan, Ma, 73, stated he was “very completely happy” to be occurring a visit the place he’ll speak to college students and pay respects to the graves of his ancestors in China.
“Aside from going to make choices to my ancestors, I’m additionally taking Taiwan college college students to the mainland for exchanges with them, hoping to enhance the present cross-strait environment by the passion and interplay of younger folks, so peace can come even sooner and sooner to us right here,” he stated in brief remarks.
Ma is a senior member of Taiwan’s major opposition celebration, the Kuomintang (KMT), which favours shut ties with China though it strongly denies being pro-Beijing.
The KMT says outreach to China is required now greater than ever given the tensions throughout the Taiwan Strait.
China has rebuffed Tsai’s repeated requires talks, believing her to be a separatist. She says solely Taiwan’s folks can determine their future.
Ma will not be scheduled to satisfy any senior Chinese language officers whereas there, however the head of his basis stated final week Ma can be “at his host’s disposal” in the event that they do prepare such a get-together.
Ma was met on the airport by each supporters and indignant demonstrators from the pro-independence group Taiwan Republic Workplace, who had been solely allowed to indicate their banners contained in the airport for a short interval earlier than being pushed out by police.
Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Get together criticised Ma for occurring Monday, saying it was inappropriate given former long-time Taiwan ally Honduras had ended ties with Taipei in favour of Beijing the day earlier than.
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