The talks between China President Xi Jinping and Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou, the first such meeting since China's civil war ended in 1949, are to be held in the neutral venue of Singapore on Saturday.
They also come ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections on Taiwan in which the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is favoured to win, something Beijing is desperate to avoid.
The Nationalists, also known as the Kuomintang (KMT), retreated to Taiwan after losing the civil war to the Communists, who are still in charge in Beijing.
China has never renounced the use of force to bring what it considers a breakaway province under its control.
But while bilateral trade, investment and tourism have blossomed - particularly since Ma and his KMT took power in 2008 - there is deep suspicion on both sides and no progress has been made on any sort of political settlement.
"I am here to promise to everyone, we must be doing our best to reach the goal that we set previously, making the Taiwan Strait more peaceful, making the two sides more cooperative," Ma told reporters before boarding his flight to Singapore.
No agreements are expected in what is seen as a highly symbolic get-together at a luxury hotel in Singapore, a largely ethnic Chinese city-state that has maintained good ties with both for decades...
aljazeera.com
7/11/15
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Rencontre historique entre les présidents chinois et taïwanais...
ReplyDeleteLes présidents chinois et taïwanais se sont serré la main samedi après-midi à Singapour, une première historique depuis la séparation de la Chine continentale et de Taïwan il y a 66 ans, qui doit consacrer un rapprochement entre ces rivaux en Asie.
A Taïwan, des protestataires s'étaient rassemblés à l'aéroport de Taipei avant le départ du président Ma Ying-jeou samedi matin, brûlant des photos des deux dirigeants et scandant des slogans qualifiant le président chinois Xi Jinping de "dictateur" et Ma de "traître".
Dans la nuit de vendredi à samedi, une centaine de manifestants brandissant des pancartes où était écrit "Indépendance de Taïwan" ont également tenté de prendre d'assaut le parlement de Taipei.
Les deux présidents doivent ensuite s'entretenir à huis clos durant une heure...........rtbf.be