Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Taiwanese counterpart, Ma Ying-jeou, will meet Saturday in what will be the first time any leader from both countries will meet since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949.
The two countries announced the meeting on Wednesday, saying that their leaders will meet in Singapore to discuss issues focusing on peace and development, though no major agreements or joint statements are expected to be made, according to FOX News.
"The mainland's attitude on a meeting between leaders from both sides of the Taiwan Strait is positive and consistent. If there is news on this, we will issue it in a timely manner," China's Taiwan Affairs Office said in a statement.
The purpose of Ma's trip was to "consolidate cross-strait peace and maintain the status quo," the office said. Ma would not sign any agreements or issue any joint statements with China during the trip, it added.
Taiwan has been self-ruled since Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists fled to what is now Taiwan following their defeat at the hands of Mao Zedong's Communists after World War II, NBC News reported.
This meeting is another step taken by China's ruling Communist Party to strengthen ties between the two nations in recent years. These ties are generally economic and have not permeated into the political realm, as Beijing still sees Taipei as a breakaway province that should be taken back, by force if necessary, particularly if it moves from self-governance toward independence.
The meeting comes at a politically sensitive time in Taiwan, with elections for a new president and legislature being held on Jan. 16, according to CNN.
Ma's pro-China Nationalist Party, known as the Kuomintang (KMT), is trailing in opinion polls behind the main opposition, Democratic Progressive Party, which traditionally favors independence and is loathed by the Chinese Communist Party.
News of the meeting sparked a protest outside Taiwan's parliament, which involved younger people who worry that Ma is sneaking around in an attempt to "sell" Taiwan to China.
