China will not accept any moves towards independence for Taiwan, Xi informs the opposition leader of the island
President Xi Jinping stated on Friday that China will “absolutely not tolerate” any push for independence from Taiwan, identifying it as the primary factor disrupting peace in the Taiwan Strait. He urged the island’s opposition leader to work towards advancing “reunification.”
Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of Taiwan’s largest opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), is currently in China on what she describes as a peace mission aimed at alleviating tensions during a period when Beijing has intensified military pressure on the island it claims as its territory.
During a meeting in the Great Hall of the People, Xi conveyed to Cheng that the current global situation is not fully peaceful, emphasizing the value of peace. “Compatriots on both sides of the strait are all Chinese—individuals of one family who desire peace, development, exchange, and cooperation,” he remarked, as reported by Taiwan television stations.
‘ONE CHINA’
According to a separate state media readout, Xi stated that both sides of the strait belong to “one China.” He remarked, “When the family is harmonious, all things will prosper.” “The pursuit of Taiwan independence is the primary factor disrupting peace in the Taiwan Strait—we will firmly reject and oppose it.”
Xi also addressed the sensitive issue of the union between China and Taiwan, a long-standing objective for Beijing that is firmly opposed by Taiwan’s government.
He stated that the KMT and Communist Party should “join hands to create a bright future for the motherland’s reunification and national rejuvenation.”
China declines to engage in dialogue with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, labeling him a “separatist.”
In a conversation with reporters in Taipei late on Friday, Taiwan’s leading China policymaker, Chiu Chui-cheng, emphasized that the future of Taiwan should be determined solely by its people, asserting that China ought to engage with Taipei’s democratically elected and legitimate government.
“He added that the Chinese communists are intentionally fostering the misleading notion that Taiwan is merely an internal matter for China.”
In 1949, the Republic of China government, led by the Kuomintang, retreated to Taiwan following their defeat in a civil war against Mao Zedong’s communists, who established the People’s Republic of China. As of now, neither government officially acknowledges the existence of the other.
The contemporary KMT supports stronger diplomatic and economic connections with Beijing compared to the current Democratic Progressive Party.
Cheng expressed to Xi that the public on both sides yearns for mutually beneficial cross-strait relations, emphasizing the importance of reciprocal interactions and exchanges. “I, Li-wun, sincerely hope that one day in the future, I will have the opportunity to be the host and welcome General Secretary Xi and all of you here present in Taiwan,” she added, referring to Xi’s title as head of the Communist Party.
Cheng expressed her hope that, through the collaborative efforts of both parties, the Taiwan Strait would cease to be a point of potential conflict and would certainly not turn into a “chessboard for outside forces to intervene in.”
In a subsequent conversation with reporters in Beijing, Cheng conveyed that Xi had expressed China’s respect for Taiwan’s distinct social system and lifestyle choices.
“However, she expressed hope that Taiwan will recognize and affirm the developmental achievements of the mainland,” she stated.
