Taiwan’s former pro-China president in Beijing

Ma Ying-jeou will make a stop in the Chinese capital and also visit other provinces. The trip will fall on the eve of the inauguration of Lai Ching-te, who is opposed by Beijing as an "independence seeker". The Kuomintang hopes the visit will lower cross-strait pressure and foster a peaceful exchange.

Taipei (AsiaNews) - The former president of Taiwan, Ma Ying-jeou, is planning a second trip to China at the beginning of April, after receiving an invitation from Beijing. The former president will visit the capital and some universities together with a delegation of Taiwanese students.

The pro-China Kuomintang Party hopes the visit will ease tensions: China continues to put pressure on the island across the Taiwan Strait, especially after the pro-independent Lai Ching-te won elections in January and will take over as president in May.

Ma Ying-jeou will be in China from April 1 to 11 and will also stop in the southern province of Guangdong and the western province of Shaanxi, where she will visit sites of historical importance, and supervise student exchange programs at the renowned University of Beijing and Sun Yat-sen University.

It is not yet known whether Ma will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, but a member of the delegation said they would be "at the disposal of our guests".

Ma Ying-jeou had met the Chinese president in Singapore in 2015 and thus became the first Taiwanese leader to talk to Beijing since the Kuomintang left mainland China in 1949 after losing the civil war with the Chinese Communist Party led by Mao Zedong. Already last year, Ma had gone to China but had not stopped in Beijing.

Because China does not recognize Taiwan's government, he referred to the former president simply as “Mr. Ma Ying-jeou.” The Taiwan Affairs Bureau commented that it welcomed the visit.

But he served two terms as president of Taiwan from 2008 to 2016. After retiring from office, he maintained some influence within the Kuomintang, which remains the main opposition party after losing to the Democratic Progressive Party.

Although Lai Ching-te has opened up the possibility of cross-Strait dialogue, Beijing rejects it considering Taiwan a rebellious and separatist province. The Kuomintang, being pro-China, hopes that this visit will send the message of peaceful exchange.

However, Ma's speeches have sparked controversy in Taiwan in the past. Last year, for example, he said the island had no choice but to "trust Xi Jinping" over cross-Strait relations.

In recent years, Beijing has continued to put pressure on Taiwan by intensifying training sessions and military exercises in the waters near the island.

In addition to its growing military presence, Beijing also launched a series of balloons during the Lunar New Year holiday in early February and recently a Chinese speedboat carrying four people capsized during a Taiwan coast guard pursuit near Kinmen Island. Two people have died and the Chinese coast guard has stepped up patrols near Taiwan's outer islands.