RSVP: Taiwan’s Ma Will Not Attend APEC Summit This Year

Taiwan’s president My Ying-jeou will not attend the upcoming APEC summit to be held on Bali, Indonesia from October 5-8 2013.  Instead Ma will send former Vice President Vincent Siew. Taiwan’s Focus Taiwan News channel reported that Ma said the time was not right for such a trip. In 1991, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed dealing with APEC seats for China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Taiwan was referred to as “Chinese Taipei” and must be represented by a dedicated APEC minister, and not the Foreign Minister or Vice Foreign Minister. This year’s delegation headed by former VP Siew also includes Mainland Affairs Council Minister Wang Yu-chi. Wang’s stated purpose is to be an advisor for cross-straits matters. There is speculation, however, that Wang will work with Mainland representatives to set up a possible meeting between President Ma and Chinese President Xi Jinping at next year’s Shanghai-based APEC meeting.

So this week’s question: Will a Xi-Ma meeting take place any time soon?  And should it?  And could Ma stand the heat politically if such a meeting DID take place? Would this be Ma’s downfall, or would it be his Nixon-to-Beijing, Deng-to-Tokyo moment?  What do you think? Please post below.