TAIPEI (REUTERS) - There was nothing rushed or opaque about the government push for a historic meeting between Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou and Chinese President Xi Jinping, a senior Taiwan government official said on Wednesday (Nov 4).

Andrew Hsia, head of the Mainland Affairs Council, Taiwan's ministry in charge of China policy, made the remarks at a briefing, adding that the idea of the meeting was broached by the chief of China's Taiwan Affairs Office and that it underscored both sides' dedication to maintaining peace.

Hsia added that absolutely no private agreements will be reached at the meeting.

The unexpected meeting will be the first between leaders of the two sides since the Chinese civil war ended in 1949.