US EditionTaiwan Opposition Figure’s Praise of China’s Xi Sparks Backlash
Cheng called for institutional arrangements to prevent war after Xi proposed closer cross-strait ties and Beijing announced 10 new measures.
- On Friday, April 10, 2026, Taiwan Opposition Leader Cheng Li-wun met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, marking the first high-level Kuomintang visit to the mainland in over a decade.
- Cheng's rapid rise as KMT chairperson solidified her status as leader of the party's Beijing-friendly faction, positioning her to prioritize political accommodation with the Communist Party of China over defense-focused strategies.
- Xi and Cheng agreed both sides bear responsibility for the 'rejuvenation of the Chinese nation' using the '1992 Consensus,' while Cheng called to 'pursue institutional arrangements' as a mechanism preventing cross-strait war.
- Beijing announced 10 measures to advance cross-strait ties, including export liberalization, shortly after the summit; yet 73.9 percent of Taiwanese voters reportedly dislike the Communist Party of China , complicating Cheng's domestic standing.
- With U.S. President Donald Trump expected in Beijing next month, this summit could reshape the KMT's electoral prospects this fall amid Taiwan's ongoing debate over a proposed $40 billion defense budget.
12 Articles
12 Articles
‘I am Chinese’: Taiwan’s Nationalist Party leader visits mainland, advocates reconciliation
BEIJING—In the latter days of January 1923, the Chinese revolutionary democratic leader Sun Yat-sen issued a joint agreement with the ambassador of the newly established Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. This manifesto marked the beginning of the Nationalist Party’s cooperation with Communists, paving the way for the First United Front in China. United on the basis of reinvigorating the Chinese nation and beating back imperialist and fascist …
Taiwan Opposition Figure’s Praise of China’s Xi Sparks Backlash
The recent high-profile meeting between Taiwanese opposition figure Cheng Li-wen and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing has triggered a wave of criticism in Taiwan, after Cheng publicly praised China’s development under Xi, using language closely associated with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) propaganda. During the April 10 meeting, Cheng—chair of Taiwan’s opposition Kuomintang (KMT)—credited Xi with leading China to “complete poverty alleviati…
Taiwan students on mainland see KMT chairwoman's visit as sign of closer cross-Strait bonds
Taiwan students studying on the mainland said the recent visit by a delegation of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party led by its chairwoman Cheng Li-wun had sent a positive signal to both sides across the Taiwan Strait, highlighting shared ties and renewed prospects for closer engagement.
KMT’s Cheng Li-wun in China: The new, the old, and the risky
Key takeaways: Cheng’s China outreach signals an ideological split within the KMT that carries electoral risks. Her rhetoric, particularly her reinterpretation of the 1992 Consensus, marks a departure from the party’s previous moderation strategy under Eric Chu, deepening intra-party divisions and risking the alienation of moderate voters ahead of the 2026 local elections. Beijing is combining party-to-party engagement with targeted economic i…
After many years of cooling relations between China and Taiwan, they may set out to partially improve them. However, there is a catch. Representatives of the Chinese Communist Party have been negotiating the strengthening in Beijing with Cheng Li-wun, who is the head of the Taiwanese opposition Kuomintang party. The Taiwanese government, which Beijing describes as separatist, has previously declared that the opposition does not have a mandate to…
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