Saturday's historic summit in Singapore between the presidents of China and Taiwan may have surprised many, but the sides first broached the subject about two years ago, and the leaders had their legacies very much in mind.
For Chinese President Xi Jinping, the summit may not change the outcome of Taiwan's presidential election in January, which the island's main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is widely expected to win, two sources with ties to the Chinese leadership said. Anti-China sentiment is rising in Taiwan.
But longer term, Xi hopes to cement his place in China's pantheon of great leaders if he is able eventually to lure the self-ruled democratic island, which Beijing claims as its own, back to the fold, the sources said.