Xi meets KMT leader after decade, urges peaceful cross-strait development

BEIJING: Chinese President and Communist Party chief Xi Jinping on Friday held talks with Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of Taiwan’s Chinese Kuomintang (KMT), marking the first such high-level engagement between the two sides in a decade.

Cheng’s visit, made at the invitation of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, is the first by a KMT chairperson to the Chinese mainland in 10 years. Her delegation toured Jiangsu Province and Shanghai before arriving in Beijing.

Xi described the meeting as “highly significant” for advancing relations between the CPC and KMT, as well as for fostering stability across the Taiwan Strait. He emphasized that despite shifting global dynamics, the broader trajectory of China’s national rejuvenation and the desire for closer ties between people on both sides of the strait would remain unchanged.

Highlighting shared aspirations, Xi said people across the Taiwan Strait seek peace, stability, and improved livelihoods, calling it a joint responsibility of both parties to promote these goals. He reiterated Beijing’s willingness to engage with all political parties and sectors in Taiwan to strengthen dialogue, expand cooperation, and advance peaceful development.

Xi stressed adherence to the “1992 Consensus” and opposition to “Taiwan independence” as the political foundation for cross-Strait engagement. He warned that differences in social systems should not be used as a basis for division and underscored that both sides belong to “one China.”

Calling for deeper integration, Xi encouraged greater people-to-people exchanges, including visits by Taiwan residents and expanded opportunities for young people from Taiwan to work and study on the mainland. He also welcomed Taiwanese agricultural and fishery products into mainland markets and pledged to share development opportunities to boost economic ties.

Xi further linked Taiwan’s future to the broader goal of China’s national rejuvenation, expressing confidence that more people in Taiwan would come to understand the mainland’s development path and recognize shared interests.

For her part, Cheng echoed the importance of common identity, stating that people on both sides of the strait are “one family.” She called for strengthening mutual trust, preserving shared cultural heritage, and expanding cooperation across multiple sectors.

Cheng reaffirmed the KMT’s commitment to the 1992 Consensus and opposition to Taiwan independence, urging both sides to work toward peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and a stronger collective future.

Senior Chinese officials, including Wang Huning and Cai Qi, also attended the meeting, which signals a renewed push for dialogue amid ongoing sensitivities surrounding Taiwan.