Taiwan's main opposition leader said on Saturday that she was disappointed President Ma Ying-jeou made no reference to preserving the island's democracy and freedom during his landmark meeting with China President Xi Jinping in Singapore.

Tsai Ing-wen, who heads the Democratic Progressive Party and is the front-runner for Taiwan's presidential election in January, also told reporters in Yunlin, Taiwan, that she would work together with the Taiwan people to rectify any damage caused by the meeting of the two leaders.

Leaders of political rivals China and Taiwan met earlier on Saturday for the first time in more than 60 years for talks that come amid rising anti-Beijing sentiment on the self-ruled democratic island and weeks ahead of elections there.

The talks between Xi and Ma were the first such meeting since China's civil war ended in 1949.