• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Taiwan has no plans for second Ma-Xi meeting: MAC

ROC Central News Agency

2016/01/15 21:02:57

Taipei, Jan. 15 (CNA) Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) head Hsia Li-yan (夏立言) said Friday that his agency has no plans for a second meeting between the top leaders of Taiwan and mainland China before President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) steps down in May.

Hsia was responding to questions on the possibility of a second meeting between Ma and Chinese leader Xi Jinping (習近平) before May 20, when Ma will step down after two four-year terms. Ma and Xi held a historic meeting in Singapore in November.

Ma has also said that he has no such plans, Hsia said during a meeting with foreign media and delegations of foreign observers of Taiwan's presidential election that will take place Saturday.

In response to questions on whether Taiwan and mainland China will rekindle a diplomatic war of luring away each other's diplomatic allies after the election, Hsia said it is too early to speculate on China's response and what will happen after the polling.

But he stressed that the Ma administration has made a great contribution to the development of relations across the Taiwan Strait and that he believes whoever is elected will cherish the hard-won results.

Asked about the latest developments in Taiwan's efforts to join the China-initiated Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Hsia said that Taiwan's Finance Minister Chang Sheng-ford (張盛和) will write a letter of congratulations on the Jan. 16 inauguration of the AIIB and also reiterate Taiwan's interest in joining.

Noting that the AIIB will hold a meeting in April to discuss new membership, Hsia said that Taiwan will continue to communicate with mainland China about its participation.

During Friday's meeting, just one day before the presidential and legislative elections, Hsia was also asked to comment on an incident in which Tzuyu (周子瑜), the only Taiwanese member of the South Korean girl group Twice, has seen her performances in China canceled over a controversy involving her display of the Republic of China flag on a South Korean television show.

The MAC's stance is that art and performances should not be politicalized, Hsia said, while offering his support for Tzuyu.

The incident has caused Tzuyu to lose an endorsement deal for a smartphone produced by the Chinese company Huawei.

Her management company, JYP Entertainment, has also decided to temporarily cancel all of her upcoming performances and activities in mainland China.

(By Tang Pei-chun and Elaine Hou)
ENDITEM/J