TOP leaders of political rivals Taiwan and China have met for the first time in more than 60 years since creation of Taiwan for talks amid rising anti-Beijing sentiment on the self-ruled island just two months ahead of presidential elections. China’s President Xi Jinping and his Taiwanese counterpart Ma Ying-jeou, shook hands at the summit in Singapore on Saturday breaking history with Mr Xi Jinping sticking to one China policy but to many it opens new corridor for more talks. We hope such meeting whoever wins the election will bring positive results in future.
The talks come ahead of Taiwan’s presidential elections in January next in which the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is favoured to win, something Beijing wants to avoid. The ruling Nationalists, also known as the Kuomintang (KMT), retreated to Taiwan after losing the civil war to the Communists in mainland who have then built China as a powerful modern state seeking reunification of the Island State with mainland.
Needless to say China has never renounced the use of force to bring what it considers a breakaway province under its control. But bilateral trade, investment and tourism have meanwhile blossomed – particularly since Ma and his KMT took power in 2008. There is however deep suspicion on both sides and no progress has been made on any sort of political settlement.
In their Singapore meeting Mr Xi reinforced Beijing’s stance on one China policy, Mr Ma listened. Reports quoted Mr Xi as saying Ma in closed-door meeting that the cross-strait relationship is not a relationship between two countries. Territories on both sides of the strait belong to the same country. Such assertions may not however augur well with many in Taiwan’s independence leaning opposition now showing lead in pre-election snap polls.
Despite the rift, China is Taiwan’s biggest trade partner, hundreds of flights go on both sides each week and Chinese banks now operate in the island. Meanwhile, Taiwanese companies have the largest overseas investment in mainland China. Sidetracking the political issue and fear of China’s military intervention they are close trading partners with deepening socio-cultural ties. Political observers praise China’s pragmatism in friendly dealing with Taiwan without making reunification the issue to block relations otherwise.
Many watching the development see Xi-Jinping’s meeting with Mr Ma as a boost to the ruling party’s candidate now trailing in the opinion polls and to show China’s desire to deal with Taiwan’s nationalists. Beijing feels comfortable with the Kuomintang’s pro-Chinese stance and Xi-Jinping wants to make it clear apparently to influence voters but with equal risks of backfire in the opposition camp. Taiwan lost its UN seat to China in 1971 and only 22 states formally recognized the island with the USA the biggest power behind Taiwan’s independence. To many his meeting with Mr Ma is a calculated move for stability in relations with Taipei with the nationalists to continue in power.
