Former Taiwanese leader to visit mainland China next month
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Ma Ying-jeou, who served as president of Taiwan from 2008 to 2016, is set to embark on a significant 12-day journey to mainland China, commencing in Nanjing, the capital city of Jiangsu province, on April 1.
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Former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou speaking at an event. (AFP via Getty Images)
Former Taiwanese leader Ma Ying-jeou, who served as president of Taiwan from 2008 to 2016, is scheduled to visit mainland China from April 1 to April 11, as announced by Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Chen Binhua on Monday. The itinerary encompasses visits to Beijing, various Chinese provinces, and other locations.
"Ma Ying-jeou as the head of a delegation of Taiwanese youth will pay a visit to [the Chinese provinces of] Guangdong and Shaanxi, as well as Beijing and other places," Chen was quoted as saying by the state-run China Central Television broadcaster.
The schedule involves taking part in various events, such as an ancestor worship ceremony, as reported by the broadcaster. However, there is no information available regarding whether the former Taiwanese leader will engage in any meetings with Chinese officials during this time.
"We welcome the visit of Mr. Ma Ying-jeou at the head of the delegation," Chen added.
This upcoming visit to mainland China will mark Ma Ying-jeou's second visit since March 2023, reflecting a continuation of his diplomatic efforts to foster relations between Taiwan and mainland China.
At the time, Ma’s trip intended to facilitate student exchanges and to enable the ex-regional leader to pay his respects to the graves of his ancestors in China, according to Ma Ying-jeou Foundation director, Hsiao Hsu-tsen. It is worth noting that Ma Ying-jeou continues to hold a prominent position within Taiwan's primary opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT).
Despite the KMT's recent loss in the presidential election for the third consecutive time in January, the party remains a proponent of fostering strong relations with China through dialogue.
Inevitable reunification
Beijing has repeatedly affirmed its position that Taiwan belongs to mainland China, citing historical context, and has constantly affirmed its opposition to Washington's increasingly hostile policies in the South China Sea and its encroaching on its geopolitical sphere, particularly regarding the island.
In his New Year's address last December, Chinese President Xi Jinping adamantly declared the reunification of Taiwan inevitable.
"Compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait should be bound by a common sense of purpose and share in the glory of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," he said then.
This came shortly after Xi Jinping told US President Joe Biden in a November summit in San Francisco that China will ultimately reunify with Taiwan, albeit on an undetermined timeline.
Meanwhile, the United States has repeatedly claimed it adhered to the One China policy, which is a nonnegotiable prerequisite to diplomatic relations with Beijing. While Washington has no official diplomatic ties with the island, it has signed a series of military and arms agreements, all explicitly directed against China.
The Taiwan Relations Act, signed in 1979, commits the United States to supply weapons to the island and any services it needs to "defend itself from China." However, Washington remains extremely vague over whether it would directly join Taiwan in any war with China or would assume a less involved role.
Biden has repeatedly said the United States would "defend Taiwan", but US officials have claimed there is no change to the American official policy.
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