Taiwan’s Opposition Leader Hopes to Meet China’s Xi in 1st Half of 2026

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Dec 30, 2025 - 10:53 Updated: Dec 30, 2025 - 10:47
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Taiwan’s Opposition Leader Hopes to Meet China’s Xi in 1st Half of 2026

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TAIPEI—Taiwan’s opposition leader expressed hope that she could meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in the first half of 2026, as Beijing intensifies military pressure and coercion against Taiwan under President Lai Ching-te’s administration.

Cheng Li-wun, a former lawmaker who became chair of the Kuomintang, or KMT, in November, made the remarks during a local radio interview on Dec. 26. She said she would not travel to China unless a meeting with Xi had been arranged.

“It depends on whether I am invited,” Cheng said in Mandarin, according to a translation.

She added that she would prefer the planned trip to fall in the first half of next year, rather than the second half, because of her busy schedule with Taiwan’s 2026 general elections, during which voters will choose city mayors, city councilors, county chiefs, and county councilors.

Cheng’s remarks come as the Lai administration and the opposition are mired in a rare political crisis. The opposition, which consisted of the KMT and its much smaller ally, the Taiwan People’s Party, or TPP, has used its majority in the legislature to block or stymie key government proposals, including the budget.

The 2026 elections in Taiwan are considered an important barometer of party support ahead of the island’s presidential and legislative elections in early 2028. Lai’s presidential election victory in January 2024 paved the way for the Democratic Progressive Party (or DPP) to an unprecedented third consecutive term since 2016.

In Taiwan, trips to China by high-profile party figures or elected officials often raise security concerns, given Beijing’s use of its “united front” strategy and coercive tactics to co-opt individuals and groups, potentially undermining Taiwan’s freedoms.

On Dec. 26, the Executive Yuan, Taiwan’s highest administrative organ, approved amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area. If passed by the legislature, it would require lawmakers and all civil servants to obtain government approval before traveling to China.

Against this background of concerns over cross-strait engagement, the Lai administration previously signaled conditional openness to dialogue. In October, after Cheng was elected KMT chairwoman but before she assumed office, Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai told reporters that he would welcome talks between Cheng and Xi, provided that Taiwan’s sovereignty and its people’s free and democratic way of life were preserved, according to Taiwan’s national media, the Central News Agency.

On Monday, China launched a new round of military exercises encircling Taiwan, less than two weeks after Washington announced a record $11.1 billion in arms sales to the island.

In response to China’s military drill, Cheng accused Lai of “provoking” Beijing and said Taiwanese are “freedom-loving” people.

“Wrong cross-strait policies are what have pushed Taiwan toward the danger of military conflict and caused heightened anxiety in the international community. President Lai Ching-te has repeatedly sought to provoke and cross red lines, showing no sign of wanting to ease cross-strait relations,” Cheng said.

The Lai administration has criticized China’s military drills. The foreign ministry issued a statement condemning the Chinese Communist Party’s “threat” to regional and global peace and stability.

In a Facebook post, Lai urged Taiwanese people to give their “fullest support and encouragement” to Taiwan’s Coast Guard and military personnel.

“We will not escalate conflicts or provoke disputes, but we will firmly safeguard our national security and the way of life based on democracy and freedom,” Lai wrote.
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