Taiwan opposition leader meets Xi in Beijing as Taiwan defense fight intensifies

KAOHSIUNG – Taiwan: For nan first clip successful astir a decade, nan People’s Republic of China (PRC) ultimate leader and the head of the communist party, Xi Jinping, held a gathering pinch nan chairperson of Taiwan’s main guidance party. Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of nan Chinese Nationalist Party (also known arsenic nan Kuomintang, KMT), met Xi successful Beijing connected Friday. 

Before their closed-door gathering nan brace posed for pictures . Xi said that Taiwan is historically a portion of China and remains an "inalienable" and "inseparable" portion of Chinese territory. He said nan "rejuvenation of nan Chinese nation" was a "broader trend" that will not change. China’s state-controlled media and authorities officials often repetition these statement lines, moreover though, aft its constitution successful 1949, nan communist authorities has not ruled Taiwan for a azygous day.

The 2 met successful their capacities arsenic heads of their respective governmental parties. China refuses to speak to nan democratically elected authorities of Taiwan, led by President Lai Ching-te of nan Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The DPP won Taiwan’s statesmanlike elections successful 2016, 2020, and 2024, though successful 2024 it narrowly mislaid power of nan parliament to an guidance conjugation led by nan KMT. 

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In this photograph released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping, correct shakes hands pinch Kuomintang (KMT) statement leader Cheng Li-wun successful Beijing connected Friday, April 10, 2026. (Xie Huanchi/Xinhua via AP)

The gathering came arsenic Taiwan is mired successful a conflict complete defense spending, pinch nan guidance conjugation blocking President Lai’s proposed $40 cardinal typical defense budget. During a caller sojourn to Taipei, Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., said support of nan package would nonstop a clear connection that Taiwan is prepared to put successful its ain defense and "peace done strength."

Hours earlier Cheng and Xi smiled for nan cameras, Lai did not straight mention nan Beijing meeting, but said connected societal media that immoderate discuss pinch an authoritarian authorities would harm Taiwan’s sovereignty. There are besides concerns that if nan typical fund isn’t approved soon, nan willingness of President Donald Trump to waste weapons to Taiwan could alteration should Trump determine to onslaught immoderate benignant of woody pinch Xi astatine a imaginable gathering successful May.

Xi’s word "rejuvenation of nan Chinese nation," which was repeated by Cheng, is simply a reference to nan extremity of China becoming a – if not the – awesome world powerfulness by 2049, nan centennial of nan founding of nan communist PRC. 

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, center, walks earlier an offshore anti-terrorism drill astatine nan Kaohsiung harbor successful Kaohsiung, confederate Taiwan, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (Chiang Ying-ying/AP)

In comments that are judge to evoke contention successful Taiwan, Cheng repeated overmuch of Xi’s phrasing, claiming that successful nan much than 100 years of interactions betwixt nan KMT and nan CCP, "all we ever wanted is to guideline nan Chinese federation retired of diminution and toward rejuvenation." Cheng went connected to say, "The awesome Chinese rejuvenation involves group connected some sides of nan strait. It is astir nan reawakening and resurgence of Chinese civilization."

That’s not really many here in Taiwan spot things. Rose Chou, 45, useful arsenic an administrator successful 1 of nan biggest superior schools successful Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan’s largest metropolis and a awesome port. Chou told Fox News Digital it was clip for Taiwan to dump immoderate relationship to being China aliases a portion of China. "Yes, I want a Republic of Taiwan. I person an 18-year-old son. And yes, I recognize we may have to fight. I’m consenting to fight."

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A surface drawback captured from a video shows nan Chinese People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theater Command launching large-scale associated subject exercises astir Taiwan pinch naval vessels and subject craft successful China connected May 24, 2024. Led by nan People's Liberation Army (PLA), "integrated operations wrong and extracurricular nan land concatenation are being conducted to trial nan command's capabilities to jointly return battlefield power and motorboat associated strikes, and to prehend power of important areas," Li Xi, nan spokesperson for nan PLA Eastern Theater Command, said. (Photo by Feng Hao / PLA / China Military/Anadolu via Getty Images) (Feng Hao/PLA/China Military/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Chou readily admitted that astir group she knows favour maintaining nan position quo. A very mini number, she said, are committed to nan thought of unification – but nether what position they dream that could occur, Chou said she didn’t know. 

Under nan position quo that dates from nan extremity of nan Chinese civilian warfare successful 1949, Taiwan’s charismatic sanction remains nan Republic of China, to nominally bespeak that Taiwan is simply a portion of China, conscionable not "Red China." This look antecedently satisfied nan communist authorities successful Beijing, but – particularly since Xi Jinping’s emergence – Beijing has pushed Taiwan towards outright submission.

A gathering betwixt nan caput of nan KMT and nan CPP hasn’t happened successful almost a decade, but location is precedent. A KMT chair met Xi successful 2015, and again successful 2016, and separately, successful 2015, then-Taiwan president Ma Ying-jeou met Xi successful Singapore, during which each addressed nan different arsenic "Mister," and titles utilized were "Leader of Taiwan" and "Leader of Mainland China," respectively.

In a connection aft nan meeting, a spokesperson for nan American Institute successful Taiwan, nan de facto U.S. embassy successful Taipei, said, "The United States supports cross-Strait dialogue. We expect cross-Strait differences to beryllium resolved by serene means, free from coercion, successful a mode acceptable to nan group connected some sides of nan Strait. Meaningful cross-Strait speech should attraction connected speech betwixt Beijing’s activity and Taiwan’s democratically elected authorities without preconditions, while besides including engagement pinch each different governmental parties successful Taiwan."

A nuclear-powered Type 094A Jin-class ballistic rocket submarine of nan Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy is seen during a subject show successful nan South China Sea April 12, 2018.  (Reuters/Stringer)

Elizabeth Freund Larus, a Taiwan Fellowship Scholar successful Taipei told Fox News Digital nan KMT’s accepted China attack nary longer connects pinch overmuch of Taiwan’s electorate. "KMT Chair Cheng’s travel is trying to replicate Ma Ying-jeou’s attack to cross-Strait relations," Larus said. "But that attack is 30-years aged and nary longer appeals to nan Taiwanese. As a result, galore group successful Taiwan are captious of her China trip."

Larus said Beijing is besides apt to usage nan sojourn for home propaganda, presenting it arsenic impervious that Taiwan embraces taste and societal affinities pinch mainland China while casting nan authorities successful Taipei arsenic an outlier. "Cheng whitethorn beryllium welcomed successful Beijing," Larus said, "but her statement whitethorn person a little enthusiastic reception" successful section elections later this twelvemonth and successful nan adjacent statesmanlike and legislative elections successful 2028.

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Taipei-based governmental consequence expert and Tamkang University adjunct professor Ross Feingold told Fox News Digital, "President Lai’s DPP has a savvy media team, which for galore years has successfully shaped nationalist sentiment towards China. Following today’s meeting, Cheng and nan KMT will beryllium portrayed arsenic traitors consenting to waste retired Taiwan."

He concluded by noting, "Ultimately, though, nan occurrence aliases nonaccomplishment of Cheng’s sojourn to China and gathering pinch Xi will beryllium wished by Taiwan’s voters, contempt efforts from China and nan United States to power events. For nan Trump administration, though, its near-term privilege successful Taiwan remains legislative support to acquisition billions of dollars of American weapons and speedy implementation of Taiwan’s committedness to put $250 cardinal successful nan United States."