Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) yesterday said that the time, venue and agenda of a meeting between himself and his Chinese counterpart are still being discussed and that nothing has been finalized.
“It is unlikely that the meeting will take place before the Lunar New Year [on Jan. 31],” the nation’s top China policymaker said on the sidelines of a legislative committee meeting.
Wang was referring to a planned meeting with Taiwan Affairs Office Director Zhang Zhijun (張志軍).
On the issue of a possible meeting between President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), Wang said that such an encounter would have to happen at an appropriate venue, when the time is right.
He said that this year’s APEC forum leaders’ summit, which is scheduled to be held in October in Beijing, seems like it would be a suitable occasion, but added that China has had different views on the matter in the past.
Wang said that that he and Zhang will not discuss the possible Ma-Xi summit.
The minister also denied reports that there has been an exchange of conditions for his meeting with Zhang, such as the long-term stationing of media on each side of the Taiwan Strait in return for the establishment of representative offices on each side.
Wang said that no preconditions have been set for an exchange of visits between himself and his Chinese counterpart, which are aimed solely at enhancing bilateral understanding.
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