Update | Presidents of mainland China and Taiwan to have first official meeting since 1949: Xi Jinping and Ma Ying-jeou head to Singapore

President Xi Jinping and Taiwan's Ma Ying-jeou will meet in Singapore on Saturday to discuss cross-strait issues, both sides have confirmed, in the first such meeting of their leaders since the Chinese civil war ended in 1949.

Ma will fly to Singapore to meet with Xi, the Taiwanese presidential office said in a statement. The state-run news agency Xinhua separately confirmed this morning that the meeting would take place, describing the scheduled encounter as a "pragmatic arrangement" that would be "in accordance with the One-China principle".

The meeting comes at a politically sensitive time in Taiwan, with elections for a new president and legislature to be held on January 16.

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China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said in a statement: "The mainland’s attitude on a meeting between leaders from both sides of the Taiwan Strait is positive and consistent. If there is news on this, we will issue it in a timely manner."

The purpose of Ma’s trip was to "consolidate cross-strait peace and maintain the status quo", his office said. Ma would not sign any agreements, nor issue any joint statements with China during the trip, it added.