Taipei [Taiwan], April 2: Former Taiwan president Ma Ying-jeou on Monday started an 11-day trip to China, aiming to ease the tension across the Taiwan Strait and promote youth exchanges.
His visit comes just months after Taiwan's presidential election, in which the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) held onto the top job, a result that angered Beijing.
"I hope that at this time of a tense cross-strait situation, I can convey the voice of the Taiwanese people that they love peace, hope for cross-Strait exchanges, and want to avoid war," Ma told reporters at Taoyuan International Airport.
Ma, who was Taiwan's president from 2008 to 2016 and who comes from the main opposition conservative and China-friendly Kuomintang (KMT) party, travelled to China in March last year, the first such visit by a former president of Taiwan. (DPA)
Source: Qatar Tribune