Taiwan's ex-President Ma Ying-jeou to make historic visit to China next week

Taipei [Taiwan], March 20 : In a first, Taiwan's former President Ma Ying-jeou is all set to visit the Chinese mainland next week.

Ma will be the first Taiwanese leader to visit China since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, CNN reported citing the statement released by his foundation on Sunday.

During his trip, the Taiwanese leader will lead a group of Taiwanese students to meet up with mainland Chinese students in various cities, according to the statement.

Ma, a prominent figure in Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party, will visit mainland China between March 27 and April 7.

Notably, the trip comes at a time when the tensions between China and Taiwan are on rise.

The trip is reportedly said to be a private one it is filled with historic symbolism as he will also pay respects to his ancestors in southwestern Hunan province, reported CNN.

Taiwan's former president Ma Ying-jeou will visit mainland China next week, the first such trip by a former Taiwanese leader since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949.

Taiwan is a self-governing island democracy, but China's ruling Communist Party claims ownership of it and has repeatedly refused to rule out annexing it by force.

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