Taiwan was among the many points mentioned by Joe Biden and Xi Jinping in a name final week. (File)

Beijing:

Chinese language President Xi Jinping stated Wednesday that “exterior interference” wouldn’t cease Beijing from unifying with Taiwan, as he met the self-ruled island’s former chief in a uncommon show of cross-strait dialogue.

Taiwan’s former president Ma Ying-jeou is in China as a part of what he has known as a “journey of peace” to calm tensions with Beijing, which claims the island as its personal territory and has by no means renounced the usage of power to deliver it below its management.

Xi welcomed a delegation headed by Ma to Beijing on Wednesday afternoon, Chinese language and Taiwanese media reported, in a uncommon assembly between present or former leaders in Beijing and Taipei, and the primary since a landmark summit between the 2 males in 2015 when Ma was nonetheless in workplace.

“The Chinese language nation has written the indivisible historical past of each side of the Taiwan Strait and engraved the truth that our compatriots… are related by blood,” Xi stated in footage of the assembly broadcast by Taiwan’s TVBS Information.

“There is no such thing as a power that may separate us… Variations in programs can not change the target proven fact that we belong to at least one nation and one individuals,” Xi was proven telling Ma throughout a shiny desk in an ornate reception room within the capital.

“Exterior interference can not cease the historic explanation for our reunion,” Xi stated.

Ma has been main a delegation of 20 Taiwanese college students and has visited expertise corporations, universities and historic websites since arriving in China final week.

In his remarks to Xi, Ma stated “younger individuals on each side of the Taiwan Strait symbolize the way forward for the Chinese language nation”.

“If struggle had been to interrupt out between the 2 sides, it might be an insufferable burden for the Chinese language nation,” he stated.

“Chinese language individuals on each side of the strait completely have ample knowledge to peacefully deal with disputes and keep away from conflicts,” stated Ma, including that they need to additionally “oppose Taiwan independence”.

‘Fan of China’ 

Ma served two phrases as Taiwan’s chief between 2008 to 2016, representing the Kuomintang (KMT) celebration, lengthy extra receptive to Beijing.

He oversaw an enchancment in cross-strait ties and held symbolic talks 9 years in the past with Xi in Singapore, the primary assembly between the political leaders of China and Taiwan for the reason that finish of the Chinese language Civil Conflict in 1949.

However relations have plummeted for the reason that 2016 election of his successor Tsai Ing-wen, who rejects Beijing’s claims.

Since then, China has ratcheted up diplomatic and army stress and has refused to rule out utilizing power 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 “harmful separatist”.

A spokesperson for Lai’s Democratic Progressive Celebration stated Ma’s go to would “have an incredible impression on Taiwan” if he was talking on behalf of the KMT.

“To date, we now have not seen the KMT come ahead to endorse or approve Ma’s go to, so we’re very interested in (their) perspective (in the direction of it),” Wu Cheng stated.

Ma “appears to be a fan of China and likes to go to China”, Wu stated, including: “In fact, we respect his private preferences.”

Worsening ties

Lai has stated he hopes to keep up the established order with China.

Chinese language warplanes and ships keep a near-daily presence across the island, as Beijing has ramped up army stress in opposition to Taipei utilizing what specialists say are “gray zone” actions — techniques that cease wanting outright acts of struggle.

Final month, Taiwan detected 36 Chinese language warplanes across the island over 24 hours, the very best every day depend this 12 months.

Taiwan was among the many points mentioned by US President Joe Biden and China’s Xi in a name final week.

The White Home stated Biden pressed Xi to make sure “peace and stability” throughout the Taiwan Strait forward of Lai’s inauguration in Might.

Xi instructed Biden that Taiwan stays “an uncrossable crimson line” for Beijing, based on Chinese language state media.

(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is printed from a syndicated feed.)