KMT chair to meet Xi Jinping in first high-level cross-strait talks in nearly a decade

Taiwan's main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party chair is set to lead a delegation to mainland China next week for the first high-level party-to-party meeting with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping (習近平) in nearly a decade, sparking debate across Taiwan’s political spectrum.

KMT Chair Cheng Li-wen (鄭麗文) announced at a press conference on March 30 that she had received and accepted a CCP invitation to visit. 

China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency confirmed the same day that Cheng and her delegation are scheduled to travel to Jiangsu, Shanghai, and Beijing from April 7 to 12. 

Cheng said the visit would adhere strictly to the KMT’s longstanding cross-strait policy of “upholding the 1992 Consensus and opposing Taiwan independence, adding that the trip would demonstrate to both the Taiwanese public and the international community that conflict between the two sides is not inevitable. She expressed hope that both sides could pursue a path of peace through “wisdom and effort,” rather than confrontation.

The 1992 Consensus refers to a 1992 understanding between Taipei and Beijing that there is only one China, but each side may interpret what "China" means. The “China” recognized by Taipei is the Republic of China (ROC).

The last high-level KMT-CCP meeting took place in November 2016, when then-KMT Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) met Xi in Beijing. 

The first such top-level meeting since the KMT-led ROC government relocated to Taiwan after losing the Chinese Civil War in 1949 occurred in 2005, when then-KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) held talks with then-CCP General Secretary Hu Jintao (胡錦濤).

Concerns over timing and security

Presidential Office spokesperson Kuo Ya-hui (郭雅慧) said in an interview with local Taiwanese media that the visit comes at a time when Taiwan’s legislature has yet to review the national budget and a special defense spending bill, raising concerns about national security and infrastructure development. 

She added that the United States has been closely watching Taiwan’s internal political situation, with US senators recently visiting the island to express support for the defense package.

Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council urged Cheng to carefully consider what it described as Beijing’s pressure tactics, warning against falling into “united front” strategies aimed at division. It reiterated that no group may enter political agreements with China without government authorization, per CNA.

Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) issued a statement accusing Beijing of using the invitation to deepen divisions within Taiwan and weaken national unity. The party called on opposition groups to uphold Taiwan’s democratic and sovereign status, reject China’s political preconditions, and prioritize passing the defense budget rather than “endorsing” Beijing’s agenda.

Opposition opinions

The KMT rejected the DPP’s criticism, arguing that the government should welcome any engagement that reduces risks and miscalculation across the Taiwan Strait. The party accused the administration of politicizing cross-strait exchanges by linking them to legislative budget reviews, which it described as part of normal constitutional oversight.

Meanwhile, lawmakers continue deliberations on the special defense budget, with competing proposals from multiple parties, including the KMT and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP).

TPP legislative caucus deputy whip Wang An-hsiang (王安祥), a member of the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, told TCN that the TPP's position on the defense budget has always been clear: the party supports strengthening national defense but opposes corruption. 

All US arms sale items formally announced for Taiwan have been incorporated into the TPP's version of the special bill, Wang added.

Diverging political views

KMT legislative caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) urged the public not to over-politicize the visit, arguing that cross-strait tensions are often inflamed unnecessarily. 

“Rather than exchanging accusations from afar, it is better to engage in dialogue,” he said, adding that reducing tensions would benefit not only Taiwan but also regional stability in Asia.

Wang said most Taiwanese people do not oppose dialogue. He reiterated the TPP’s “five mutual principles” — mutual recognition, understanding, respect, cooperation, and accommodation — as a framework for reducing hostility. 

However, he stressed that any exchanges must uphold Taiwan’s core values, including democracy, rule of law, sovereignty, and dignity.

DPP caucus whip Chuang Jui-hsiung (莊瑞雄) said on March 31 that while normal cross-strait exchanges are acceptable, Cheng’s trip risks being perceived as a political gesture aligned with Beijing’s “united front” efforts. 

He warned that the visit could both deepen domestic divisions and send misleading signals to the international community.