Source: Presidential Office

 

November 4, 2015

 

Presidential Office spokesperson Charles Chen (陳以信), on November 3, stated that President Ma Ying-jeou would meet with Mainland leader Xi Jinping (習近平) in Singapore on Saturday, November 7.   Chen added that Ma would exchange views on cross-Strait issues with Xi.  Premier Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國) and Presidential Office Secretary-General Tseng Tung-chuan (曾永權) would explain the whole situation to Legislative Speaker Wang Jinpyng and all party caucuses in the Legislative Yuan, stated Chen, adding that President Ma’s goal was to consolidate cross-Strait peace and maintain the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, but no agreement would be signed and no joint statement would be issued.  Andrew Hsia (夏立言), Chairman of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), plans to hold a press conference on November 4 to clarify the purpose of the Ma-Xi meeting, the consultation process and details of the arrangement.   President Ma also plans to hold an international press conference on November 5 to disclose more details to the public and to world news outlets.

 

Charles Chen stressed that the meeting between  the leaders of the two sides of the Strait had always been a shared goal.  Chen went on to say that former Presidents Lee Teng-hui and Chen Shui-bian had also previously expressed a desire to meet Mainland leaders.  Chen added that President Ma had reiterated on many occasions that he would not rule out the possibility of meeting the Mainland leader at an appropriate time in the proper place and in an appropriate capacity.