People's Republic of China President Xi Jinping and Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou are set to meet in a summit to be held in Singapore after centuries of separation and bitter history.
The decades of mistrust roots back to 1949 where a civil war took place between the Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang (KMT) and the Communist Party of China (CPC). CPC defeated KMT and fled to the southern part of China where it was later declared as People's Republic of China (PRC) by Communist leader Mao Zedong. Since then, both sides had been governed separately.
In a press conference, Ma said that they will share the bills for both hotel and meals.
"No country would like to see war and conflict. If we can stabilize cross-strait relations, I believe other countries would love to see it too," he adds.
According to both sides, no agreements will be signed during the summit. The meeting intends to restore the relationship and mend peace between the two countries.
Senior fellow at the Atlantic Council Robert Manning said, "If Xi tries to put down any markers about improving political ties or setting any deadlines for steps toward reunification, it will cause a massive anti-Beijing backlash across Taiwan."
China has warned that if Taiwan would insist on a formal declaration of independence, this would spark military involvement and further conflict. It has been reported that missiles are ready to be launched at the island.
China remains to be the biggest trade partner of Taiwan despite the conflict. Hundreds of flights go back and forth between the two countries. China has now established banks in Taiwan and some Taiwanese companies also built their factories in China.
Ma, former head of the Kuomintang (KMT) party, had started the process of bridging the gap between the nations since he took office in 2008.
