Former President Ma Ying-jeou to attend Straits Forum in China

Taipei, June 11 (CNA) Former President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) will attend the Straits Forum in the Chinese city of Xiamen when he takes a group of students from Taiwan on a two-week trip to China on Saturday, an official from the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation said Wednesday.

Ma and a group of Taiwanese students will depart on Saturday and attend the 17th edition of the Straits Forum in Xiamen which starts on Sunday, before heading to Gansu province, northwestern China for cultural activities and to learn about the Silk Road, said foundation chief executive Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑) in a press statement.

In Gansu, Ma and the student group will attend on June 21 an annual ceremony commemorating emperor Fuxi (伏羲), who is credited with starting Chinese civilization, Hsiao said.

Dunhuang, a key hub on the Silk Road, is another stop in Gansu on the itinerary, as Ma and the students learn more about the historic trade route connecting Chinese civilization to the world, according to the statement.

The students are taking part in the foundation's Da Jeou Academy, for which Ma has personally undertaken three visits to China to promote exchanges between youth in Taiwan and China, Hsiao said.

According to the foundation's website, the academy was set up to encourage greater youth participation in public affairs in Taiwan, by organizing events, talks and visits for students in universities and graduate schools under the age of 30.

Hsiao visited Beijing with more than 30 students from Taiwan in February, while Ma has also taken students on trips to the United States, Singapore and the United Kingdom since 2023.

According to Hsiao, the visits, as well as trips organized for Chinese university students to Taiwan are aimed at reducing hostility across the Taiwan Strait by showing people on both sides the willingness of young people to engage and interact with each other.

Ma is devoted to promoting exchanges to pave the way for peace across the Taiwan Strait, since peace and stability between the two sides are ever more important in a world hit by the "reciprocal tariffs" announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, Hsiao said.

In Beijing, Zhu Fenglian (朱鳳蓮), a spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office said China welcomes the visit by Ma and the group he will lead, during a briefing.

More than 7,000 delegates representing Taiwan's different political parties, business groups and industries are expected to attend the week-long "civilian and grassroots" event, Zhu said.

However, the Mainland Affairs Council in Taipei has labeled the Straits Forum a platform for China's "united front" efforts against Taiwan.

That position was first adopted by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party when it was in opposition and the first Straits Forum was held in 2009, Ma's second year in office.

In a statement Wednesday, the MAC, Taiwan's top agency in charge of cross-strait affairs, said Ma, as a former head of state, should be more sensitive to mainstream public opinion in Taiwan and make decisions that align with the country's overall interests.

If Ma decides to attend the forum, the MAC reminded the former president to abide by laws governing cross-strait affairs and not cooperate with the Chinese Communist Party by becoming part of its propaganda undermining Taiwan's sovereignty.