Chinese President Xi Jinping told the chairwoman of Taiwan’s opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party, Cheng Li-wun, on Friday that he maintains full confidence in the unification of China and Taiwan. The meeting, held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, marks the first such high-level discussion between the leaders of the two parties in a decade.
Xi emphasised that people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are Chinese and belong to one family. He described the unification with the mainland as a certainty of history, noting that the leaders of the two parties met today to safeguard peace and stability in their shared homeland.
Mission for regional peace
Cheng Li-wun, who leads Taiwan’s largest opposition party, is currently on what she has termed a peace mission to reduce cross-strait tensions. Her visit comes at a time when Beijing has increased military pressure against the island, which it claims as its territory.
During the dialogue, Cheng expressed her hope that the Taiwan Strait would no longer be a focal point of potential conflict. She specifically stated that the region should not become a chessboard for outside forces to intervene in. She further suggested that both sides should build sustainable and institutionalised mechanisms for continued cooperation.
The KMT chairwoman also extended an invitation to the general secretary of the Communist Party of China, expressing her wish to host Xi in Taiwan in the future. She noted that mutually beneficial relations are what the public on both sides of the strait deeply desire.
Political foundations and sovereignty
Xi stressed that China is willing to strengthen dialogue with various political parties in Taiwan, including the KMT, based on the common political foundation of adhering to the 1992 Consensus and opposing Taiwan independence. He remarked that differences in social systems should not serve as an excuse for secession.
While the KMT has sought to align itself with positions that favour dialogue with Beijing, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) remains pro-sovereignty. The administration of President Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing refuses to engage with, has called on Cheng to urge China to cease its threats and instead speak with the democratically elected government in Taipei.
The meeting holds significant weight as Cheng is the first KMT chairperson to lead a delegation to the mainland in ten years. Before arriving in Beijing, the delegation visited several locations, including Jiangsu Province and Shanghai.
Global influence and security
The discussions also touched upon the role of international players. While the United States remains Taiwan’s most important international supporter and arms supplier despite lacking formal diplomatic ties, Beijing continues to demand that Washington stop providing weaponry to Taipei.
Xi concluded by stating that no matter how the international landscape evolves, the momentum for the Chinese people on both sides to come together will remain unchanged. He identified Taiwan independence as the primary threat to peace, asserting that it should neither be condoned nor tolerated.
