China President Xi Jinping will meet with Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou in Singapore on Saturday, November 7, marking the first time the leaders of the two sides will have met since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949.

"The purpose of President Ma's visit is to secure cross-strait peace and maintain the status quo of the Taiwan Straits," said Ma's spokesman in a statement.  "No agreement will be signed, nor any joint statement be released." He added that the purpose of the meeting was "to promote peace cross the Taiwan Strait and maintain status quo."

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According to media reports, Ma will leave for Singapore on Saturday where he will meet Xi.  The head of the Mainland Affairs Council ,Taiwan's top China policy decision-making group, will hold a press conference Wednesday to release more details about the meeting.

The Chinese government has claimed Taiwan as part of its sovereign territory since 1949, when about 2 million refugees fled there following a communist victory in the Chinese Civil War. In February 2014, China and Taiwan held their first government-to-government talks since the Communists came to power in 1949.

The announcement of the meeting comes amid tensions between China and the U.S. Navy in the nearby South China Sea. The U.S. reportedly plans to conduct patrols near China's artificial islands in the South China Sea about twice a quarter. The move is intended to show China that the U.S. will exercise its rights under international law.

U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes on Monday said there would be more demonstrations by the U.S. military's to navigate freely within the region.

TagsTaiwan, leaders, meet first time, Ma Ying-jeou, since 1949