Indo-Pacific — 2026-04-10

Xi Meets KMT Leader Cheng Li-wun in Beijing in First Cross-Strait Opposition Talks in a Decade

CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping met KMT chairwoman Cheng Li-wun at the Great Hall of the People on April 10, the first meeting between leaders of the two parties in nearly a decade and the highest-level cross-strait contact since the 2015 Ma-Xi Singapore summit. Both leaders opposed Taiwan's independence. Cheng suggested she would slow Taiwan's military buildup. The visit occurred as KMT and TPP legislators continue blocking defense procurement in Taiwan's Legislative Yuan, while the US is consumed by the Iran conflict.

Analysis
Opposition-CCP engagement while Taiwan's legislature blocks defense procurement creates a coercive pincer: military pressure from PLA exercises externally, political obstruction of defense bills internally. The visit's timing, while the US is consumed by Iran, reduces Washington's bandwidth for a Taiwan-focused response.

3 sources

China & Taiwan Update, April 3, 2026 - AEI
Taiwan opposition leader calls for reconciliation after meeting Xi - Al Jazeera
China's Xi invokes threat of Taiwan independence in first cross-strait opposition talks in a decade - CNBC