China’s Xi meets former Taiwan leader in Beijing

BEIJING - Chinese president Xi Jinping on Wednesday met with Taiwan’s former leader Ma Ying-jeou in Beijing, state media said, in a rare display of cross-strait dialogue. Former president Ma headed to China last week for what he called a “journey of peace” to calm tensions with Beijing, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, and has never renounced the use of force to bring the self-ruled island under its control.

On Wednesday afternoon, “General Secretary Xi Jinping met with a delegation headed by Ma Yingjeou in Beijing”, state broadcaster said, without giving further details. The discussions mark a rare meeting between current or former leaders in Beijing and Taipei, and the first since a landmark cross-strait summit between the two men in 2015, when Ma was still president of Taiwan.

He has been leading a delegation of 20 Taiwanese students and has visited technology firms, universities and historical sites across China. Ma said prior to his departure on 1 April that the trip aimed to promote youth exchanges, and to “reduce hostility and accumulate goodwill” with Beijing.

Ma served two terms as Taiwan’s leader between 2008 to 2016, representing the Kuomintang (KMT) party, long more receptive to Beijing. He oversaw an improvement in cross-strait ties, and held a landmark summit with Xi in Singapore in 2015.

But relations have plummeted since the 2016 election of his successor Tsai Ing-wen, who rejects Beijing’s claims. Since then, China has ratcheted up diplomatic and military pressure, and has refused to rule out using force to “unify” with Taiwan.

The election in January of Tsai’s deputy Lai Ching-te stands to worsen cross-strait ties, with Beijing having denounced him as a “dangerous separatist”. Lai has said he hopes to maintain the status quo with China. Chinese warplanes and ships maintain a near-daily presence around the island, as Beijing has ramped up military pressure against Taipei, using what experts say are “grey zone” actions – tactics that stop short of outright acts of war.

Last month, Taiwan detected 36 Chinese warplanes around the island over a 24-hour period, the highest daily count this year.

Taiwan was among the issues discussed by US President Joe Biden and China’s Xi in a call last week. The White House said Biden pressed Xi to ensure “peace and stability” across the Taiwan Strait ahead of Lai’s inauguration in May.

Xi told Biden that Taiwan remains “an uncrossable red line” for Beijing, according to Chinese state media.