It is the first time Ma has expressed his views on unification while visiting mainland China
It marked the first time Ma, also the former chairman of the mainland-friendly Kuomintang (KMT), has explicitly expressed his views on unification during his four visits to mainland China. His current trip started on June 14 and ends on Friday.
He went on to clarify that unification should not be achieved through “the use or threat of force” and must “respect the will of the people of Taiwan”, according to the report.
In response to Ma’s surprise comment, Song said in his remarks following Ma’s speech that “the future and destiny of Taiwan should be jointly decided by all Chinese people on both sides of the strait”, according to a separate report by United Daily News.
