President Ma Ying-jeou and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping met in Singapore Saturday afternoon, the first meeting between leaders from both sides of the Taiwan Strait in 66 years.
During the meeting, Ma said that both sides should stick to the "1992 Consensus" to maintain the status quo. The "1992 Consensus" refers to a tacit agreement reached between Taiwan and China in 1992. Under the agreement, both sides agree that there is "one China", though each side may have its own interpretation of what "one China" means.
Ma also called for the easing of animosity, resolving disputes in a peaceful way, expanding cross-strait exchanges, and promoting mutually beneficial situations.
The president also said a hotline should be set up between the heads of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) and China’s Taiwan Affairs Office to deal with emergencies.
Ma said that as people in Taiwan and China share a common ancestry, they should work together and offer assistance to one another.
Ma said that over the seven years of his presidency, the two sides have signed 23 agreements, and the volume of cross-strait trade has reached US$170 billion per year. Ma also said more than 40,000 students from both sides have participated in exchanges over the past seven years, while the number of cross-strait visits by tourists from both sides have reached eight million per year.
Ma said that cross-strait ties are at their most peaceful and stable in 66 years. However, he said the fruits of cross-strait cooperation did not come overnight.
He said that maintaining cross-strait peace is important for the welfare of the future generations.
In related news, Chinese leader Xi Jinping said that Taiwan and Mainland China should strengthen their “common political basis” by insisting on the “1992 Consensus.” Xi said his meeting with President Ma Ying-jeou is meant to ensure that tragedies of families being torn apart in 1949 will not be repeated, and cross-strait peaceful development will not be jeopardized.