Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed Mrs. Jiang Liwen, Chairwoman of the Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan's opposition leader, emphasizing that China "cannot accept" Taiwan's declaration of independence and expressing confidence that the people on both sides will eventually reunite as one.
Chinese President Xi Jinping received Mrs. Jiang Liwen, Chairwoman of the Kuomintang (KMT), the main opposition party of Taiwan, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. This marked the first visit to China by the KMT leader in 10 years amid escalating regional tensions.
During the discussions, President Xi Jinping expressed strong confidence that the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait will ultimately reunite, describing this as an "irreversible tide of history."
The Chinese leader said, "Compatriots on both sides of the strait are all Chinese, members of one family who desire peace, development, exchanges, and cooperation." Xi added that both sides of the strait are part of "One China."
"When the family is united, everything prospers. Taiwan's independence is a major factor undermining peace in the Taiwan Strait. We will absolutely not accept or approve it," he said firmly.
Xi emphasized that China is ready to strengthen cooperation and open dialogue with all political groups in Taiwan, including the Kuomintang, based on the political foundation of "opposing Taiwan independence" to protect peace and stability in their shared homeland.
Mrs. Jiang Liwen responded by stating that restoring the prosperity of the Chinese nation is a shared aspiration of people on both sides, expressing hope that the Taiwan Strait will no longer be a strategic flashpoint for conflict.
"Both sides should rise above political confrontations and jointly seek systemic solutions to prevent and avoid war, so that the Taiwan Strait can become a global model for peaceful conflict resolution," she said.
The Kuomintang once governed China until the Republic of China government, led by the KMT, retreated to Taiwan in 1949 after losing the civil war to the Communist Party founded by Mao Zedong. No peace treaty or ceasefire was signed, and to this day, the governments on both sides do not officially recognize each other.
Jiang told Xi that mutually beneficial cross-strait relations are what people on both sides desire, with interactions and exchanges needing to be reciprocal. She added, "I, Liwen, sincerely hope that one day in the future, I will have the opportunity to host and welcome you, Xi Jinping, and everyone here in Taiwan."
This visit drew sharp criticism from Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which views Jiang as too conciliatory toward China, especially as the KMT-majority Taiwan legislature clashes with the government over a proposed NT$1.25 trillion budget to purchase U.S. arms.
Jiang firmly opposed the budget, stating, "Taiwan is not an ATM," and proposed reducing it to NT$380 billion for essential arms only. Meanwhile, Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te posted on Facebook that China's military threats around Taiwan are the real disruptors of regional peace.
The meeting between Xi and Jiang occurred just one month before U.S. President Donald Trump was scheduled to visit Beijing for a summit with China's leader, where Taiwan's security is expected to be a key topic of global discussion.