Xi Jinping Taiwan talks signal new cross-strait push

Beijing hosted a high-profile cross-strait meeting as Chinese leader Xi Jinping met former Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou in Beijing, a move presented as part of a renewed effort to shape relations across the Taiwan Strait. It was the first time the two have met since their 2015 summit, when both were in office. The timing placed the encounter weeks before the May 20 inauguration of Taiwan’s President-elect Lai Ching-te.

 

The meeting signaled Beijing’s preference for engaging Taiwan’s opposition by highlighting direct contact with the Kuomintang (KMT), rather than with Lai or the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Officials have framed this approach as a contrast between openness to dialogue with certain political actors and a refusal to engage the DPP.

 

Beijing has long said it distrusts the DPP, pointing to the party’s emphasis on Taiwan’s separate identity, while the KMT has historically supported closer economic and cultural links with the mainland.

 

The encounter also carried a message beyond Taipei, aimed at policymakers in Washington. The meeting was portrayed as evidence that China has non-military channels to pursue its objectives regarding Taiwan. That framing is intended to counter the narrative around the United States’ deepening security partnership with Taipei and to present Beijing as supportive of regional stability when its preferred political counterparts are involved.

 

A central focus was the “1992 Consensus,” described as a tacit understanding that both sides acknowledge there is “one China” while maintaining different interpretations. Ma reiterated the KMT’s position that this framework underpins dialogue. Lai’s DPP rejects the “1992 Consensus,” arguing it undermines Taiwan’s sovereignty, and instead emphasizes strengthening the island’s defenses and broadening international partnerships as a deterrent to potential pressure from Beijing.

 

Both leaders used identity and stability themes to underline their positions. Xi said that “compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are all Chinese” and that “external interference cannot stop the historical trend of family and country reunion.” Ma responded by stressing shared culture and the importance of avoiding conflict through peaceful means.

 

The immediate uncertainty now shifts to Lai’s inaugural address, which is expected to set the tone for cross-strait relations over the next four years. The meeting underscored the political dividing lines inside Taiwan ahead of the transition, while Beijing continues a dual approach described as pressure alongside targeted engagement. How these signals are received in Taipei and Washington remains a key open question as the May 20 handover approaches.