Xi courts Taiwan’s opposition as Beijing flexes cross-strait influence amid tensions

Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing with Taiwan’s main opposition leader, Cheng Li-wun of the Kuomintang, signaling Beijing’s aim to influence Taiwan politics while stressing that unification is a historical inevitability; Cheng framed the talks as a pragmatic step toward a stable, gradual relationship and did not publicly challenge Beijing or raise arms-sales issues. The meeting comes as China intensifies military drills around Taiwan and Washington–Beijing tensions over arms sales linger, with no grand announcements and ahead of a possible visit by Donald Trump to China.