Image: Yeni Safak English

Xi Jinping Meets Taiwan Opposition Leader Cheng Li-wun, Pushes Peace and Unification

10 April, 2026.China.9 sources

Key Takeaways

Xi Jinping met Cheng Li-wun, chair of Taiwan's Kuomintang, in Beijing, a rare high-level exchange.
Xi reaffirmed one-China stance and opposed Taiwan independence.
Xi pressed for peaceful cross-strait dialogue and eventual reunification.

Historic Xi-KMT Meeting

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Taiwan's main opposition leader in the first such meeting in over a decade.

“China’s PresidentXi Jinpingwelcomed the leader of Taiwan’s biggest opposition party to a landmark meeting Friday, reaffirming Beijing’s claim to sovereignty over the self-governing democracy and giving a thinly veiled warning against interference from the US”

Bloomberg

Xi said he was willing to work with all political parties in Taiwan on the common political foundation of the 1992 Consensus and opposition to Taiwan independence.

Chosunbiz

Cheng framed cross-strait engagement as a choice between peace and war, urging all parties to set aside differences.

The meeting came amid heightened military pressure by China over Taiwan.

Xi declared that unification of the island with the mainland is a historical inevitability.

Divergent Death Toll Reports

The Rahman Textile factory fire resulted in a wide range of reported death tolls from different sources.

Reuters and BBC reported at least 28 deaths, while Al Jazeera cited at least 41.

CNA

The Dhaka Tribune reported 33 confirmed dead.

Police detained factory owner Faisal Rahman as investigations focused on welded shut emergency exits.

Fire service chief Mahmud Iqbal said rescue crews found most victims near stairwells.

Survivors Describe Locked Exits

Survivors described workers pounding on locked metal doors as smoke filled the stairwells.

“analysis East Asia Why overtures by President Xi, KMT chair to other Taiwanese parties are unlikely to see breakthrough In his meeting with visiting Kuomintang (KMT) leader Cheng Li-wun on Friday (Apr 10), Chinese President Xi Jinping said he was willing to work with all political parties in Taiwan to advance cross-strait ties”