Sean King

Given recent events in Hong Kong, it’d be political suicide for the KMT (Nationalist Party) in next month’s elections for Ma to even be in the same room with Xi right now, let alone meet Xi one-on-one,” says Sean King, senior vice president with consulting firm Park Strategies in New York and Taipei.

Taipei is just trying to use a trendy issue like the environment to curry international favor in general for its South China Sea posture.