Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Cheng Li-yuan, chair of Taiwan's Kuomintang, the island's top opposition party with a pro-China bent. About a month ahead of a U.S.-China summit, the first KMT-CCP leaders' meeting in 10 years saw the two stress the "one China" principle and call for strengthened exchanges on the basis of opposing "Taiwan independence."
According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency and Taiwan's United Daily News on the 10th, the two met at 11 a.m. local time at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Kuomintang Vice Chairs Chang Jung-kung and Hsiao Hsu-chen accompanied the meeting. On the Chinese side were Wang Huning, chair of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Politburo Standing Committee member Cai Qi, Taiwan Affairs Office Director Song Tao, and National Development and Reform Commission Chairman Zheng Shanjie.
In his opening remarks, Xi said, "Compatriots on both sides of the strait are all part of the Chinese nation and, as one family, want peace, development, exchanges, and cooperation. This is our common aspiration," adding, "The leaders of the two parties meeting today is to safeguard our common foundation and promote the peaceful development of cross-strait relations so that future generations can share a better future together."
Xi said, "Although there have been many twists and turns, Taiwan compatriots have always regarded the mainland as their root and kept their hearts turned toward the motherland," adding, "Even when Taiwan was occupied by foreign powers, Taiwan compatriots maintained a strong sense of Chinese identity and cultural ties, proving with their blood and lives that they are part of the Chinese nation. No matter how the international landscape or cross-strait situation changes, the grand trend of human development, the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and the trend of the two sides drawing closer will not change."
Xi closed by emphasizing the "one China" principle, adding, "On the shared political foundation of opposing Taiwan independence, we will strengthen exchanges and dialogue with all parties and sectors in Taiwan, including the Kuomintang."
Cheng likewise advocated the "one China" principle and "opposition to Taiwan independence," saying, "On this shared political foundation, we should build a sustainable mechanism for dialogue and cooperation to make the peaceful development of cross-strait relations an irreversible trend."
Emphasizing the importance of peace, Cheng said, "We should build an institutional solution that can prevent and avoid war, and make the Taiwan Strait a model for the peaceful resolution of disputes. We hope the strait will not be a target of external interference but a sea that connects blood ties, civilization, and hope." He added, "Let us cooperate across diverse fields such as new energy, disease response, and artificial intelligence (AI) ethics to contribute to human welfare and sustainable development."
In the afternoon, Cheng is scheduled to hold a press conference to explain the outcomes of the talks in person. He is expected to disclose more specific details of the discussions there.
Meanwhile, Cheng began a six-day, five-night trip to China on the 7th in Shanghai. On the 8th, in Nanjing, he paid respects at Sun Yat-sen's mausoleum at Zhongshan Ling, and on the 9th he visited Shanghai's Yangshan Port, regarded as a symbol of China-Taiwan economic cooperation, to meet with Taiwanese businesspeople. On the 11th, Cheng plans to tour the Forbidden City and Zhongguancun Science Park and meet CPPCC Chair Wang Huning, and on the 12th he is scheduled to return home after a visit to a Xiaomi factory.