In opening remarks made in the presence of the press, both Xi and Ma sought to strike a conciliatory tone despite the prolonged cross-strait tensions.
Referring to his guest as “Mister Ma”, Xi said: “Foreign interference cannot stop the historic trend of reunification. And there’s no problem that cannot be resolved.”
Ma responded with a message of peace, addressing the mainland leader as “general secretary Xi” – in a reference to his title as leader of the ruling Communist Party.
“War between the two sides would be unbearable, and the two sides of the [Taiwan] strait have the wisdom to avoid conflict,” Ma said.
Arriving in the southern tech hub of Shenzhen on April 1, Ma visited several other cities including Guangzhou, Zhuhai and Xian before travelling to Beijing on Sunday.
A day after his arrival last week, Ma also went to Zhongshan to visit the former residence of Sun Yat-sen, the founding father of modern China.
Ma’s visit comes amid soaring cross-strait tensions, with just over a month to go before William Lai Ching-te of the independence-leaning ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) takes over as Taiwan’s president.
Lai, who serves as vice-president under the current administration, has been labelled by Beijing as a “separatist” who could bring war to the island.
Tensions across the Taiwan Strait have also rattled regional players and further complicated US-China relations, with Xi repeatedly warning US President Joe Biden that Taiwan represents a “red line” for Beijing and the “most sensitive issue” in its ties with Washington.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary. The United States, like most countries, does not recognise Taiwan as independent, but is opposed to any attempt to take it by force and remains committed to supplying it with weapons.
Ma sent out an anti-war message on Monday as he visited a museum in Beijing commemorating the second Sino-Japanese war. The lessons of history must be learned to “resolve disputes peacefully”, he said.
Cross-strait relations warmed considerably when Ma was president of Taiwan between 2008 and 2016. He is still an influential figure in Taiwan’s Beijing-friendly camp and remains a senior member of the KMT.
His meeting with Xi in Singapore had come amid rising anti-mainland sentiment in Taiwan ahead of presidential elections in January 2016. That vote was won by the DPP’s Tsai Ing-wen, who steps down in May after two terms in office.
Issues discussed by Xi and Ma in Singapore included the development of cross-strait relations and the “1992 consensus”.
Taiwan’s president-elect faces new era with legislature in the balance
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The 1992 consensus refers to a tacit understanding reached between the Communist Party and KMT negotiators that there is only one China, but that the two sides may disagree on its meaning. Tsai has refused to accept this consensus and also sought closer US ties, deepening cross-strait tensions.
In 2015, Xi had described his meeting with Ma as marking “a very special day, and a new chapter in history”.
“No matter whether it be rain or storm, no power can separate us. We are brothers, and I believe the two sides have the ability and wisdom to resolve our own problems,” he said.
Ma said that “the meeting had a very friendly atmosphere. It was very positive”.
He also spoke about his impression of Xi, as “very pragmatic, flexible and frank when discussing issues”.
A cross-strait hotline was set up following their summit as a confidence-building and tension-reducing measure.
However, relations soured after Tsai came to office and Beijing has since suspended official exchanges with Taipei.
