TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) will not meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) during his upcoming visit to mainland China, the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation announced on Wednesday (June 11). The foundation confirmed that Ma's fourth trip to China since leaving office will proceed from Saturday through June 27, with formal approvals already secured from both the opposition Kuomintang party (KMT, 國民黨) and the Presidential Office (總統府).
Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑), director of the foundation, firmly rejected speculation about a potential third meeting between the former Taiwanese leader and Xi, calling such reports "fake news." He pointed out that while the two leaders did meet last year, no arrangements exist for another encounter during this trip. Hsiao urged the Kuomintang not to feel politically constrained by Ma's visit, particularly regarding upcoming recall elections. He referenced polling data from Formosa Publishing Co. (美麗島電子報) indicating that an overwhelming 90% of Taiwan's public supports continued cross-strait exchanges.
Hsiao also disclosed that Lin Chu-chia (林祖嘉), who heads the Kuomintang's Mainland Affairs Department, will accompany the former president on the journey. Underscoring the significance of maintaining open channels of communication during a period of heightened tensions between Taiwan and China, Hsiao explained that Ma's delegation will include Taiwanese students. The cross-strait educational component aims to nurture cultural understanding between young people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait, continuing Ma's long-standing advocacy for peaceful relations with Beijing. ◼