Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted the leader of Taiwan’s main opposition party, Cheng Li-wun, at the Great Hall of the People on Friday, marking the first high-level encounter between the two political forces in over a decade. Both leaders used the historic occasion to call for a reduction in cross-strait tensions, though their visions for the island’s future remain deeply divided from the governing administration in Taipei.
The meeting between Mr Xi and Ms Cheng, the chairperson of the Kuomintang (KMT), took place as Beijing continues to ramp up military pressure on the self-ruled island. Despite the friction, Mr Xi struck a paternalistic tone during the televised portion of the summit, emphasising a shared cultural identity.
“The larger trend of compatriots on both sides of the strait walking nearer, closer, and together will not change,” Mr Xi said, according to reports from the Associated Press. He described the eventual unification of Taiwan and the mainland as a “historical necessity” and expressed “full confidence” in a peaceful resolution.
Ms Cheng, who has described her six-day trip to the mainland as a “peace mission,” responded by calling for the establishment of a formal framework to avoid conflict. She told the Chinese leader that the Taiwan Strait should “no longer be a focal point of potential conflict” and must not become a “chess piece played by the outside world.”
The timing of the visit is significant, occurring as the KMT-led opposition in Taiwan’s legislature continues to block a $40 billion special defence budget proposed by President Lai Ching-te. President Lai, whom Beijing labels a “separatist”, issued a sharp rebuttal via social media following the Beijing summit. He warned that “compromising with authoritarian powers only sacrifices sovereignty and democracy.”
The dialogue also serves as a diplomatic prelude to a highly anticipated meeting between Mr Xi and US President Donald Trump scheduled for next month. Analysts suggest the CCP is eager to demonstrate that a path to peace exists through the KMT, bypassing the current pro-sovereignty government in Taipei.