Former Kuomintang (KMT) Chairperson Ma Ying-jeou will embark on a 14-day visit to the Chinese mainland starting June 14, according to an announcement by Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of China's State Council. The trip marks Ma's second visit to the mainland since 2023 and is framed as a non-official exchange focused on cultural heritage and youth engagement.
The itinerary includes stops in Guangdong, Shaanxi, and Beijing, where Ma is expected to participate in events highlighting shared historical roots and cross-strait cultural connections. Zhu emphasized the visit aligns with Beijing's commitment to fostering "people-to-people exchanges" between residents of Taiwan and the mainland.
Analysts suggest the trip could serve as a confidence-building measure amid ongoing tensions across the Taiwan Strait. Ma, who previously facilitated landmark cross-strait dialogues during his 2008-2016 tenure as the island's leader, remains a key figure in unofficial communication channels.
This development follows increased cultural and economic interactions between the mainland and Taiwan in 2024, with over 1.2 million Taiwan residents visiting the mainland in Q1 alone. Business communities are watching for potential signals about future cross-strait economic cooperation frameworks.
