Beijing ends Ma Ying-jeou's dream of meeting Xi Jinping at next Apec summit
State Council's Taiwan Affairs Council says such a meeting is for Chinese on both sides of strait and will not be held at international event
Beijing has ruled out the possibility of the two leaders from across the Taiwan Strait meeting during next year's Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) summit on the mainland.
Fan Liqing, spokeswoman of the mainland State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, made it clear at a news conference in Beijing yesterday that such an event would not take place.
"A cross-strait leaders' meeting is an affair between the Chinese people on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, and will not be held through any international venue," she was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.
Fan said Apec's memorandum of understanding clearly laid out the criteria for the Taiwan delegation to attend the informal leaders' meeting and, by taking part, Taipei would be indicating it was prepared to abide by the regulations.
Her comments dashed any hopes of Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou meeting President Xi Jinping at the summit.
Beijing still regards Taiwan as a wayward province despite warming cross-strait relations aided by Ma's policy, since he took office in 2008, of engaging Beijing. The mainland leadership has consistently opposed the attendance of the Taiwanese leader at the summit to avoid the impression that the island is an independent state.