President Ma Ying-jeou held an international press conference on Thursday to give details about his upcoming landmark meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Ma and Xi will be meeting in Singapore on Saturday.
Ma said the meeting has been in the works for the last two years. The plan for the meeting only came to fruition after Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council minister Andrew Hsia and his Chinese counterpart Zhang Zhijun met in October this year.
Ma said the purpose of the meeting will be to reduce animosity and deepen exchanges between the two sides. He also said he hopes that meetings between leaders of the two sides become a regular occurrence.
Ma said the meeting will be a historic milestone since it will be the first of its kind in the 66 years that the two sides have been ruled separately. The two leaders will not sign any agreements or issue any joint statement at the meeting.
Ma said it has been agreed that he and Xi will address one another by the politically neutral term "Mister".
"We will not use official titles but address each other as "Mister". In this way, we will be addressing each other on an equal basis and with respect," Ma said. "This goes to show that both sides have flexibility and are practical in dealing with cross-strait issues. This will be putting into effect “mutual non-recognition of sovereignty, mutual non-denial of jurisdiction” between the two sides."
Ma said the meeting is not being held for his own sake nor for the sake of the upcoming presidential elections but for the welfare of the next generation.
Ma said there is no way of knowing the outcome of next year’s presidential elections but one thing he can do while still in office is to set up a bridge across the Taiwan Strait.
Ma also referred to his promise four years ago not to meet with a Chinese leader. Ma said that he had promised not to meet with a Chinese leader if the meeting was to be held in China. He said the upcoming meeting is acceptable because it will be held in a third country.