Ma Ying-jeou will go to the mainland to worship his ancestors on the 27th, the first case in 74 years

Taiwan's former president Ma Ying-jeou will go to mainland China to worship his ancestors on March 27. If he goes, he will be the first outgoing Taiwan head of state to visit China since 1949.

According to Taiwan Central News Agency, Ma Ying-jeou will go to mainland China to worship ancestors from March 27 to April 7, and will lead young students from the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation's "Dajiu School" to visit important historical sites such as the Revolution of 1911 and the War of Resistance Against Japan. Visit Wuhan University in Hubei, Hunan University and Fudan University in Shanghai to communicate with mainland students.

According to a report from Hong Kong Juheng.com, since Ma Ying-jeou’s trip is mainly to Hunan to worship his ancestors, he will not go to Beijing, nor will he arrange a meeting with the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping, hoping to reduce the political effect.

KMT spokesman Lin Jiaxing said in an interview with the Central News Agency that he believed this would be of positive help to cross-strait exchanges and understanding, and extended his best wishes to Ma Ying-jeou for his trip to land. He also said that the Kuomintang hopes to continue to implement the policy of "pro-US, friendship with Japan, and peace with the mainland" through actions, proving that "communication replaces hostility, dialogue replaces confrontation" can effectively defend the Republic of China, safeguard Taiwan's democracy, and maintain regional peace. .

It is worth noting that the timing of Ma Ying-jeou's visit to the mainland will coincide with the time when the current Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen visits Central and South America and stops in the United States. The Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Republican Congressman McCarthy of California, has said he plans to meet with Tsai Ing-wen when she transits the United States.

Ma Ying-jeou served as President of Taiwan from 2008 to 2016. On November 7, 2015, Ma Ying-jeou and Xi Jinping held a historic cross-strait leaders' meeting in Singapore on the eve of leaving office.