Taiwan’s opposition leader, Cheng Li-wun, head of the Beijing-friendly Kuomingtang Party, met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People. The encounter, the first such meeting in over a decade, saw both leaders affirm a desire for “peaceful reunification” of Taiwan and the mainland, while discussing Taiwan's potential participation in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) free trade agreement, a mechanism for capital accumulation across the region.
Capital's "Peace" Offensive
President Xi welcomed Cheng and her party’s representatives, stating, “The larger trend of compatriots on both sides of the strait walking nearer, closer, and together will not change. This is a historical necessity. We have full confidence in this.” Cheng Li-wun responded by asserting that “although people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait live under different systems, we will respect each other and move towards each other,” adding that “We will seek systemic solutions to prevent and avoid war.”
Despite calls for peace, China has not ruled out the use of force to achieve reunification. The state has escalated military exercises around Taiwan, deploying warships and fighter jets closer to the island, and systematically reducing Taiwan’s diplomatic allies through economic and political pressure. Cheng Li-wun, who arrived in Beijing on Tuesday after visits to Shanghai and Nanjing, has described herself as a promoter of peace between Taiwan and China.
Her party, the Kuomingtang, has actively opposed significant increases in Taiwan’s defense spending. The KMT continues to block President Lai Ching-te’s special defense budget, which includes funds for arms purchases and the construction of an air defense system with interception capabilities, known as the Taiwan Dome.
Taiwan has been governed separately from China for 77 years, since 1949, when a civil war concluded with the Communist Party taking power in Beijing and the defeated Kuomingtang forces establishing their government in Taiwan.
The State's Hand and Suppressed Voices
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, without directly addressing Cheng’s visit, issued a statement urging the KMT to approve his special defense budget. He argued that “history tells us that compromising with authoritarian regimes only comes at the cost of sovereignty and democracy, and will not bring freedom or peace,” a liberal solution that prioritizes military spending over addressing underlying economic contradictions.
Following her meeting with Xi, Cheng Li-wun stated she would advocate for a “framework for peace” but offered no specific details. She confirmed raising the issue of increasing Taiwan’s international profile, specifically through participation in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership free trade agreement, to which Xi reportedly responded “positively.” Cheng declared that both parties would work to ensure “the Taiwan Strait will no longer be a flash point with the possibility of conflict, and will not become a chess piece played by the outside world.”
Weihao Huang, a professor of political science at National Sun Yat-sen University in Taiwan, observed that Cheng’s speech did not sound like that of a Taiwanese politician. Huang noted that Cheng “didn’t mention the public” and that “You can’t see the public’s mindset from her words. It’s either her words are being restricted by China or that she was willing for China to restrict it,” highlighting the disconnect between ruling-class negotiations and the interests of the working population.
Both Xi and Cheng affirmed their commitment to upholding the 1992 Consensus and opposed Taiwan’s independence. The 1992 Consensus is an unwritten agreement that Taiwan and China both belong to one China, though the Kuomingtang maintains it allows for separate interpretations of what “China” means, a distinction the Communist Party has never acknowledged.
Ma Chun-wei, an expert in China-Taiwan relations at Taiwan’s Tamkang University, indicated that the visit held greater significance for Xi Jinping than for Cheng Li-wun. Ma noted that local KMT grassroots members had expressed reluctance for Cheng to visit China ahead of local elections later this year. For Xi, the meeting provides a channel to assert control over China-Taiwan relations, particularly given the absence of official contact between the governments since the Democratic Progressive Party assumed power. Ma added that this engagement allows Xi to signal to the U.S. not to interfere, asserting that “he has a channel and the ability to deal with the Taiwan issue,” a clear move in the ongoing imperialist competition for regional dominance.