Former Taiwanese leader Ma begins historic mainland China trip voicing hopes that ‘peace can come’

Former Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou started his landmark visit to mainland China on March 27, 2023. The journey is the first by a former head of the island’s government since the Chinese civil war ended more than seven decades ago. Ma’s trip comes amid heightened tensions between Beijing and Taipei, and will overlap with a visit to the US by Taiwan’s current president, Tsai Ing-wen.