Xi-Ma meet to lead cross-Strait high-level exchanges

BEIJING - The upcoming meeting between Xi Jinping and Ma Ying-jeou later this week will be crucial to high-level political exchanges across the Taiwan Strait and will steer future cross-Strait relations.

Xi and Ma will meet on Saturday in Singapore. They are expected to exchange views on promoting peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and discuss ways to improve cross-Strait cooperation and people's welfare.

Relations between the mainland and Taiwan stalled when The Kuomintang (KMT) forces, led by Chiang Kai-shek, fled to Taiwan in 1949 after a civil war. Following more than six decades of vicissitudes, this meeting is hard earned and the result of the commitment of people on both sides.

The past might not be altered, but one can still seize the present and influence the future. As political disputes are yet to be fully resolved, the two sides have made pragmatic arrangements based on the one-China principle to make this meeting possible, showcasing political wisdom as well as a honorable and responsible attitude.

In their capacity as "leaders of the two sides" of the Taiwan Strait, Xi and Ma will reportedly exchange views during a closed-door meeting and then hold a joint press conference. They are also expected to attend a dinner afterward.

The meeting will undoubtedly boost mutual trust, consolidate the common political foundation and, ultimately, safeguard peace and stability across the Strait.

According to Zhang Zhijun, head of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, the meeting will help consolidate the 1992 Consensus, which endorses the one-China principle.

The KMT, Taiwan's ruling party, in an online statement, described the meeting as "a major watershed" that offers an opportunity to realize mutually beneficial cooperation.

When Xi and Ma shake hands on Saturday not only will they be marking a huge development in cross-Strait relations, but also another milestone in China's journey to great rejuvenation.