Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou. Reuters

China President, Xi Jinping and Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou, who belong to two different ideological camps, met today for the first time in more than 60 years for talks that, according to a Reuters report, come amid “rising anti-Beijing sentiment on the self-ruled democratic island and weeks ahead of elections there.”

The talks between the two men, the first such meeting since China’s civil war ended in 1949, are, as contained in the report, being held at a luxury hotel in the neutral venue of Singapore.

The report went further that both men shook hands and smiled in front of a mass of journalists, Xi wearing a red tie, the colour of the Communist Party, and Ma a blue one, the colour of his Nationalist Party.

Moving into a meeting room, Xi, speaking first and sitting opposite Ma, said Chinese people on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait had the ability and wisdom to solve their own problems.
“No force can pull us apart,” Xi said. “We are one family.”

In response, Ma said he was determined to promote peace across the Taiwan Strait and that relations should be based on sincerity, wisdom and patience.

Ma also asked Xi indirectly to respect Taiwan’s democracy.
“Both sides should respect each other’s values and way of life,” he said.

See the full report here: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/07/us-china-taiwan-idUSKCN0SV2PU20151107#AxVSCwlKTqbK7SA1.97