China's Xi meets Taiwan opposition leader ahead of key summit with Trump

Key Points:

• Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Kuomintang (KMT) leader Cheng Li-wun in Beijing, marking the first official meeting between Chinese Communist Party and KMT heads in nearly a decade, emphasizing "peaceful development" across the Taiwan Strait.
• Xi expressed hope that more Taiwanese will see their future tied to a strong China and voiced willingness to work with all Taiwan political parties except the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which Beijing views as separatist.
• Cheng framed her visit as a peace mission to promote dialogue and reduce tensions, advocating respect across different political systems and opposing Taiwan independence, aligning with Beijing's "one China" stance.
• The meeting occurs ahead of a planned summit between Xi and U.S. President Donald Trump, where Xi is expected to oppose U.S. arms sales to Taiwan; meanwhile, Taiwan's ruling party criticizes the meeting and urges support for increased defense spending to deter China.
• Analysts suggest Xi aims to pull the KMT closer to Beijing's narrative, potentially shifting Taiwan's political landscape, though it remains unclear if this will lead to concrete policy changes.