Xi Jinping and Ma Ying-jeou Hold Historic But Controversial Meeting Amid China-Taiwan Tensions
• Chinese President Xi Jinping met with former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou in Beijing, stating that outside interference cannot stop "reunion" between China and Taiwan • Xi said people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are Chinese and that there are no issues that cannot be discussed between the two sides • Ma told Xi that tensions have caused unease among many Taiwanese, saying a war would be "unbearable" for the Chinese people • Taiwan criticized the meeting, saying Ma did not convey the island's insistence on defending its sovereignty and democracy • The meeting comes amid military tensions between China and the democratically-governed Taiwan, which rejects China's territorial claims over the island