President Ma Ying-jeou says that Taiwan and Mainland China are on a path towards holding regular consultations. Ma was speaking Friday, one day before his meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Ma spoke about the current state of cross-strait talks.
“The channel of regularized negotiations between the two sides has gradually elevated from the Straits Exchange Foundation to the Mainland Affairs Council, and tomorrow, leaders of the two sides will meet. The process has been gradual but progress has been steady," said Ma.
Ma said he and the Chinese leader will exchange views on consolidating cross-strait peace and maintaining the status quo. He said that although there are far fewer cross-strait issues than in previous years, there are still many that have yet to be resolved.
Ma also said that many governments have reacted positively to news of his meeting with Xi. He said that Japan, Australia, and the EU were among the states and organizations that have welcomed the meeting between the two leaders. He said that the White House, the US State Department, the American Institute in Taiwan, and many US-based scholars also welcome news of the meeting.