Taiwan says it has swapped spy convicts with China in goodwill gesture linked to Xi-Ma meeting

Taiwan says that it and old foe China have released high-level spying convicts in a sign of goodwill linked to a first-ever meeting between their presidents.

The Taiwanese president office in Taipei said in a statement Monday that each side granted the early parole weeks before Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou met Nov. 7 in Singapore.

The statement says China released two convicts and Taiwan released one. It was issued after the spy swap was reported by the Taipei-based China Times newspaper. The paper says the two Taiwanese had been sentenced to death in China before their sentences were reduced.

There was no immediate confirmation of the trade from China's side.

Taiwanese presidential office spokesman Charles Chen says that Ma hopes such goodwill exchanges can continue.