Xi Hosts Taiwanese Opposition Leader, Urges Peaceful Cross-Strait Engagement

Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Kuomintang chair Cheng Li-wun in Beijing—the first meeting between Xi and a sitting Taiwanese opposition leader in nearly a decade—where Xi urged peaceful cross-strait development and reaffirmed that Taiwan independence remains the primary threat, while Cheng framed her trip as deterrence through dialogue and called for broader exchanges ahead of Taiwan’s 2028 election; analysts say near-term risk of mainland aggression is low, though Beijing’s calculus could shift with future elections.