Ex-Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou to visit China this month
Former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou will visit China later this month. He is also former chair of Taiwan's Kuomintang party which takes a more conciliatory stance toward China than the Democratic Progressive Party that currently holds power.
Ma's office said on Wednesday that the visit, scheduled from Saturday through June 27, is at the invitation of China.
Ma will lead a student delegation to participate in the Straits Forum, which China says is a cross-strait exchange event, in Fujian Province. The delegation is also expected to visit Gansu Province, including Dunhuang, which is famous for monuments of the ancient Silk Road trading route.
Ma expressed his willingness to foster cross-strait dialogue and build a bridge of peace between Taiwan and China.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, a spokesperson for China's State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, Zhu Fenglian, welcomed Ma's visit. She noted that while current situations surrounding the Taiwan Strait remain complex and tense, bilateral exchanges and cooperation should never be suspended or severed entirely.
China is apparently seeking to keep the Taiwanese government of President Lai Ching-te in check through exchanges with Ma.
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