Xi Jinping meets Taiwan's KMT in decade's first cross-strait talks

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Kuomintang (KMT) chair Cheng Li-wun in Beijing, marking the first official meeting between Xi and a Taiwanese opposition leader in nearly a decade. In a statement, Xi called 'Taiwan independence' a threat to stability and emphasized the need for peaceful development in cross-strait relations. The meeting takes place ahead of the 2028 Taiwan presidential election, where KMT aims to position itself favorably for negotiations. This shift in tone could reduce military conflict risks between mainland China and Taiwan, impacting regional economic relations and political strategies significantly.