Xi Jinping Reaffirms Taiwan Reunification As “Inevitable” In Beijing Meeting
Xi Jinping calls Taiwan reunification inevitable during talks with opposition leader.
Chinese President Xi Jinping met Taiwan opposition Kuomintang (KMT) chairwoman Cheng Li-wun in Beijing on Friday, reiterating that reunification between mainland China and Taiwan is an “inevitable” outcome, according to remarks reported by Taiwanese media. The meeting comes amid heightened political sensitivity across the Taiwan Strait and renewed debate in Taiwan over cross-strait relations.
During the talks, Xi expressed confidence that people on both sides of the strait would ultimately move closer together and achieve unity. He described cross-strait reunification as a “historical inevitability,” signaling Beijing’s continued long-term stance on Taiwan, which it claims as part of its territory. Cheng’s visit marks the first time in a decade that a KMT chairperson has travelled to China, underscoring the significance of the engagement.
Cheng, however, used the meeting to call for reduced tensions and greater political understanding. She said the Taiwan Strait should not remain a “focal point of potential conflict” and urged both sides to move beyond confrontation toward a framework that could prevent war. Her comments reflect the KMT’s traditional advocacy for engagement with Beijing, in contrast to Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
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The visit has sparked controversy within Taiwan’s domestic political landscape. Critics accuse the KMT leadership of being overly accommodating toward Beijing at a time when tensions remain high. Relations between China and Taiwan have deteriorated significantly since 2016, when then-president Tsai Ing-wen of the DPP rejected Beijing’s “one China” principle, leading to the breakdown of formal high-level communication.
Current Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has repeatedly warned that China’s increasing military activity around the island threatens regional stability. Beijing has continued to conduct near-daily air and naval operations near Taiwan and has stepped up large-scale military drills in recent years, further straining relations.
Despite these tensions, Cheng emphasized during her visit—beginning in Shanghai and including stops in Nanjing—that cross-strait relations are not destined for conflict. Her trip has been closely watched as a rare political exchange between senior figures from Taiwan’s opposition and Beijing, highlighting the fragile and highly contested nature of cross-strait diplomacy.
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