Reuters, Taipei :
Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold talks with Taiwanese counterpart Ma Ying-jeou in Singapore on Saturday, the first meeting of leaders from the two rivals since the Chinese civil war ended in 1949.
Both governments said the leaders would discuss cross-strait ties at the unexpected but historic meeting, which comes at a sensitive time in Taiwan, with presidential and parliamentary elections being held in January amid rising anti-China sentiment.
Ma, who steps down next year due to term limits, has made improving economic links with China a key policy since he took office in 2008. He has signed landmark business and tourism deals, though there has been no progress in resolving their political differences.
Communist China deems the proudly democratic island a breakaway province to be taken back, by force if necessary, particularly if it makes moves toward formal independence.
Taiwan’s main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which traditionally favours independence and whose candidate is the presidential election frontrunner, accused Ma of trying to influence the poll.
“President Ma picks this sensitive time for meetings. How can people not think of this as a political operation intended to affect the election?” DPP spokesman Cheng Yun-peng told reporters in Taipei.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold talks with Taiwanese counterpart Ma Ying-jeou in Singapore on Saturday, the first meeting of leaders from the two rivals since the Chinese civil war ended in 1949.
Both governments said the leaders would discuss cross-strait ties at the unexpected but historic meeting, which comes at a sensitive time in Taiwan, with presidential and parliamentary elections being held in January amid rising anti-China sentiment.
Ma, who steps down next year due to term limits, has made improving economic links with China a key policy since he took office in 2008. He has signed landmark business and tourism deals, though there has been no progress in resolving their political differences.
Communist China deems the proudly democratic island a breakaway province to be taken back, by force if necessary, particularly if it makes moves toward formal independence.
Taiwan’s main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which traditionally favours independence and whose candidate is the presidential election frontrunner, accused Ma of trying to influence the poll.
“President Ma picks this sensitive time for meetings. How can people not think of this as a political operation intended to affect the election?” DPP spokesman Cheng Yun-peng told reporters in Taipei.
