Former Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou to lead delegation to mainland China next week

Former Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou will travel to mainland China next week in a bid to ease growing hostilities amid deteriorating relations between the two sides and worries over a possible cross-strait conflict. It would be the first time a former Taiwanese president has visited the mainland since 1949. Ma, who has said that more exchanges could help reduce animosity between the people across the strait, is expected to lead a delegation of several of his former aides and 30-odd students to visit five mainland cities – Nanjing, Wuhan, Changsha, Chongqing and Shanghai- for 12 days from March 27. No plan for Ma to visit Beijing was announced. China’s Xi vows ‘peaceful’ Taiwan ties as caution marks tone from Beijing “Instead of buying more weapons, it would be better to increase exchanges between young people of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait,” said Hsiao Hsu-tsen, executive director of the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, on Monday in Taipei. “The more they are able to promote their friendship, the less risk there will be,” Hsiao said. Taiwan’s relations with the mainland had thawed during Ma’s time as president between 2008 and 2016, but tensions have escalated since Tsai Ing-wen of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was elected president in 2016. Tsai, who has refused to accept the one-China principle, has sought to buy more weapons from the United States to counter Beijing. China has responded by staging war games nearby and poaching eight of the island’s allies. Hsiao said Ma was worried that such a development would only increase the chances of cross-strait war, and hoped to use the visit to pay tribute to his mainland Chinese ancestors and to promote exchanges and understanding between young people on both sides. Ma’s first stop will be in Nanjing on March 27, which will include student exchange activities and seminars and visits to historical sites of China’s 1911 revolution, which was led by Sun Yat-sen, the founder of the Chinese republic. Ma will also pay tribute to his ancestors in Xiangtan, Hunan province on April 1, according to this foundation. Ma’s trip has the blessing of Beijing, with Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesman of the mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office, calling it a trip to “strengthen exchanges of young people and add fresh vitality to the development of cross-strait relations and peace”. The spokesman noted that the trip comes as people from both sides pay respects to their ancestors during the annual tomb sweeping festival. Ma’s trip, which was delayed for close to four years due to revised government regulations and the Covid-19 pandemic, will be closely watched by the DPP government and pro-independence supporters over concerns that Ma might attempt to strike deals with mainland officials. What price allegiance? US$50 million from Taiwan would do it for Micronesia “Former president Ma totally ignores the fact that the Chinese Communists have continued to ramp up pressure against us, including intensifying military threats and isolating us internationally,” said DPP spokesman Chang Chih-hao. “Can’t he realise the real nature of China that when the world is denouncing Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, China has continued to stand by Russia?” he asked. Chang said the former president should have a clear political understanding that his mainland visit would give others the impression that Taiwan has made concessions to the military threats and expansionism of Beijing. Ma’s visit will also coincide with a reported plan for Tsai to make transit stops in New York and Los Angeles on her way to visit the island’s Central American allies of Guatemala and Belize, prompting the DPP to accuse the former Kuomintang leader of trying to steal the political spotlight from Tsai. Hsiao said Ma had framed his trip as tribute to ancestors to avoid creating an unnecessary political interpretation of his visit. “There is no itinerary in Beijing and no meeting with mainland leaders, including Mr Xi Jinping there,” Hsiao said, adding that the trip will focus only on central China. Asked if Ma would meet local mainland officials, Hsiao said the delegation would be open to invitations and arrangements by local authorities during their visit. Li Da-jung, a professor of international relations and strategic studies at Tamkang University in New Taipei, said Ma still enjoys popularity and influence, as he was the first island leader to meet Xi in Singapore in 2015. “His devotion to promoting peaceful cross-strait relations has made him a political icon on both sides of the Taiwan Strait,” Li said, adding that Ma’s trip and exchanges with mainlanders should help increase cross-strait understanding and ease tensions. During his time in office, Ma’s Beijing-friendly policy of engagement helped foster warmer cross-strait relations. He also agreed to a formula that stated Taiwan was a part of China, although the two sides’ concepts of that China differed.