--- description: Although Beijing regards Taiwan as a breakaway province, it is likely to push for progress on these three issues title: 3 Things China Wants From Taiwan image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3d59d6598d10d227/69886f7e0a4a22fea99c6e1a/gettyimages-493921650.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # 3 Things China Wants From Taiwan by [Mark Rivett-Carnac](/author/mark-rivett-carnac/) ## Mark Rivett-Carnac Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Nov 4, 2015 8:01 AM CUT  Chinese President Xi Jinping on Oct. 23, 2015, in Manchester, England Chinese President Xi Jinping on Oct. 23, 2015, in Manchester, EnglandRichard Stonehouse—Getty Images by [Mark Rivett-Carnac](/author/mark-rivett-carnac/) ## Mark Rivett-Carnac Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Nov 4, 2015 8:01 AM CUT China’s President Xi Jinping and Taiwan’s leader Ma Ying-jeou [will sit down together in Singapore this Saturday](http://time.com/4099014/china-taiwan-meeting/?xid=homepage "undefined"), the [first face-to-face meeting](http://time.com/4099264/china-taiwan-meeting-1945-chiang-kai-shek-mao-zedong/ "undefined") between the parties’ heads since 1945\. Although Beijing regards Taiwan as a breakaway province, it is likely to push for progress on these three issues. **Reconciliation** This meeting may be the last time Xi can push for reunification with Taiwan before Ma’s party, the Kuomintang, risks losing the Jan. 16 election to an independence-leaning opposition group. In the past, Xi has [proposed](http://www.wsj.com/articles/china-taiwan-presidents-poised-for-historic-meeting-1446583881 "undefined") the two powers join under a “one country, two system” model similar to mainland China’s arrangement with Hong Kong. But that idea may fall of deaf ears if [Tsai Ing-wen](http://time.com/3926330/the-next-president-of-taiwan/ "undefined") from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) wins the election as expected. Polls in Taiwan show most of the island’s citizens do not favor the “one country, two systems” setup; growing tension in recent years between Hong Kong and mainland China probably hasn’t made the idea any more appealing. **Calm in the South China Sea** The Xi-Ma dialogue comes in the wake of two international disputes in the South China Sea: the first with the U.S. Navy over navigation rights, and the second with the Philippines regarding the jurisdiction of disputed islands that will be heard by an international court in the Hague. Taiwan claims some of the same marine territory as China, making it wary that the Philippines’ case is going to court. Talks with Taiwan are likely to play to Beijing’s advantage if these disputes heat up, says Yang Tai-shuenn, political-science professor at the Chinese Culture University in Taipei. **Stronger economic ties** Economic ties between Beijing and Taiwan have strengthened since Ma took office, with [trade](http://www.economist.com/news/china/21646571-chinese-leaders-send-warnings-taiwans-opposition-party-ahead-elections-next-year-chinas-bottom "undefined") last year closing in on $200 billion. With so much at stake, Xi is likely looking for a “commitment from Taiwan that ongoing economic integration will continue” even if the DPP takes power, says Willy Lam, adjunct professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Centre for China Studies. **_Read next:_** [_3 Things Taiwan Wants From China_](http://time.com/4099355/china-taiwan-meeting-xi-jinping-ma-ying-jeou/ "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4099330/china-taiwan-xi-jinping-ma-ying-jeou-meeting/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4099330/china-taiwan-xi-jinping-ma-ying-jeou-meeting/"},"headline":"3 Things China Wants From Taiwan","datePublished":"2015-11-04T08:01:32.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T12:19:37.396Z","description":"Here's what might be on the agenda for a historic meeting","url":"https://time.com/4099330/china-taiwan-xi-jinping-ma-ying-jeou-meeting/","keywords":["China","Asia","Taiwan"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3d59d6598d10d227/69886f7e0a4a22fea99c6e1a/gettyimages-493921650.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Mark Rivett-Carnac","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/mark-rivett-carnac/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3d59d6598d10d227/69886f7e0a4a22fea99c6e1a/gettyimages-493921650.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"State Visit Of The President Of The People's Republic Of China - Day 5","caption":"State Visit Of The President Of The People's Republic Of China - Day 5","creditText":"Richard Stonehouse—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4099330/china-taiwan-xi-jinping-ma-ying-jeou-meeting/","name":"3 Things China Wants From Taiwan"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"China's Drift Towards a More Fragmented World","description":"Editor-at-large Ian Bremmer discusses China's financial growth and the challenges it faces in becoming the world's largest economy.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/jZ1U3aiv/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-06-02T18:26:16.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/jZ1U3aiv.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4099330/china-taiwan-xi-jinping-ma-ying-jeou-meeting/","duration":"PT2M49S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4099330/china-taiwan-xi-jinping-ma-ying-jeou-meeting/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```