TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's government asked opposition leader Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) to tell Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) three things: that Taiwan and China are not subordinate to each other, that Taiwan's future must be decided democratically, and that China must stop military harassment. When Cheng met Xi in Beijing on Friday (April 10), her public remarks mentioned none of them.
The meeting at the Great Hall of the People (人民大會堂) was the first between leaders of the Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨) and Chinese Communist Party (CCP, 中國共產黨) in a decade. Xi and Cheng shook hands for 14 seconds before cameras, delivered public remarks, and then held closed-door talks. Cheng, wearing a dark blue suit and KMT party emblem, had told reporters she was "always ready" when asked if she was prepared. The full content of the private discussions was not disclosed.
Xi declared that Chinese unification is "inevitable" and will not change regardless of international circumstances. "No matter how the international situation or the Taiwan Strait situation changes, the general direction of human development will not change, the great trend of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will not change, and the great tide of compatriots on both sides of the strait getting closer and coming together will not change," Xi said.
Xi presented four points on cross-strait relations. He called for promoting spiritual unity, maintaining peace through opposing Taiwan independence, enhancing welfare through exchanges, and achieving national rejuvenation through unity. "Taiwan independence is the chief culprit destroying peace in the Taiwan Strait. We will never tolerate it," Xi said. He also welcomed Taiwan's agricultural and fishery products into mainland Chinese households.
Cheng praised mainland China's development under Xi's leadership. "Under the leadership of General Secretary Xi, [mainland China] has not only achieved complete poverty alleviation and built a moderately prosperous society in all respects — extraordinary achievements — but also continues to soar," Cheng said. She invited Xi to visit Taiwan, expressing hope that she could one day "be the host" and welcome him on the island. Xi did not publicly respond to the invitation.
Before the meeting, Taiwan's Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi (陳明祺) had called on Cheng to deliver the government's three-point message. "These are not the demands of a single party or individual," Chen said. "Only by accurately conveying these three points of mainstream Taiwan public opinion to Xi can [Cheng] send a clear message to the world."
Cheng's public remarks, however, focused on shared Chinese identity, the 1992 Consensus (九二共識) — a framework acknowledging "one China" that the KMT accepts but the ruling DPP rejects — and praise for mainland development. It was not clear whether she raised the government's concerns during the closed-door session. Cheng is scheduled to return to Taiwan on Sunday, when she will likely face questions from legislators and journalists about whether she conveyed any of the government's three points to Xi — and what, if anything, Beijing offered in return.
President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) addressed the contrast in messaging without directly naming Cheng or the KMT. "Compromising with authoritarians only exchanges sovereignty and democracy for nothing — it will not bring freedom, and there will be no peace," Lai said on Facebook. He spoke at a separate event Friday marking the 47th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act.
"Peace must rely on strength, and strength must rely on long-term, steady investment," Lai said. He called on the opposition to support defense spending, noting that Taiwan's defense budget would exceed 3% of GDP this year and reach 5% by 2030. DPP spokesperson Michelle Lin (林楚茵) criticized the timing of Cheng's trip, noting that China announced live-fire exercises in the Yellow Sea (黃海) on Thursday morning.
Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安), a KMT member, offered a different perspective. "The more tense things are, the more communication and exchange are needed," Chiang said. He argued that cross-strait exchanges should help avoid conflict and reduce misjudgment — a position that aligns with the KMT's long-standing advocacy for dialogue with Beijing.
What Cheng said privately to Xi remains unknown. What is clear is that Taiwan's two major political camps offered Beijing — and the world — starkly different visions of the island's future on the same day. The question of which voice speaks for Taiwan remains unresolved. With local elections scheduled for November — widely seen as a midterm verdict on President Lai's administration — the debate over how Taiwan should engage with Beijing will only intensify in the months ahead. ◼
