Chinese leader Xi Jinping met with former Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou in Beijing to promote unification between Taiwan and China, despite little support for unification in democratic Taiwan. The meeting aimed to highlight shared historic and cultural roots and prevent conflict.
The Breakdown
The meeting between Xi and Ma is significant as it is the first time a Chinese leader has hosted a former Taiwanese president in Beijing since 1949, and it comes amid a week of high-profile meetings in Washington regarding concerns about China's aggression in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Chinese government is emphasizing "blood and ethnic-based nationalism" to promote the idea that cross-strait relations are based on shared heritage.
Ma's trip is seen as amplifying the Chinese Communist Party's talking points and reinforcing Beijing's opposition to foreign interference in Taiwan-related affairs.
Minimal Impact on Taiwanese Opinion
Despite Beijing's attempts to influence Taiwanese public opinion and reinforce the narrative that the Kuomintang (KMT) can bring peace to the Taiwan Strait, while the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) wants to sabotage cross-strait relations, the impact of Ma's trip on cross-strait relations and Taiwanese voters is expected to be limited.
