Taiwan's Ma says South China Sea not for discussion in China meeting

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou said the issue of the South China Sea would not be a topic for discussion in an upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Ma added that he would bring up the issue of Taiwan's difficulties in participating in international activities, particularly NGOs, when he meets the Chinese leader in Singapore at the weekend. China says it alone has the right to represent Taiwan internationally, although it has made exceptions for membership of some bodies, such as the World Trade Organization, so long as the island is identified as "Chinese Taipei". Ma made the remarks at a briefing on Thursday, adding that Taiwan had informed the United States about the meeting, the first between leaders of the two sides since 1949, ahead of time. (Reporting By Faith Hung, Writing by Ben Blanchard and Megha Rajagopalan; Editing by Dean Yates)