Taiwan's Former President Ma to Make Historic Visit to China

Former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou will visit China from March 27 to April 7, the first time a former or current Taiwanese leader has visited since the Republic of China government fled to the island in 1949. The trip comes amid heightened tensions between Beijing and Taipei as China keeps up its military and political pressure to try and get democratically-elected Taiwan to accept Chinese sovereignty. Ma, who remains a senior member of Taiwan's Kuomintang opposition party, will visit several cities and sites connected to World War Two and China's conflict with Japan, but it is unclear if he will meet any Chinese officials or leaders, including whether he would meet Xi Jinping.