Communist Party chief Xi Jinping and the chairwoman of Taiwan’s main opposition party both highlighted the message of peace across the strait as they met in Beijing on Friday, marking the first such talks between the sitting leaders of the two parties in nearly a decade.
“Compatriots on both sides are both Chinese, and we need peace, we need development, we need communication, and we need cooperation. This is a common wish,” Xi told Cheng Li-wun, head of the Kuomintang.
Xi expressed full confidence that people across the Taiwan Strait would ultimately “get closer and get together”, according to footage of the meeting broadcast by Phoenix TV.
“The historical trend that compatriots on both sides of the strait will get closer and get together will not change, this is a certainty of the history, and we are fully confident,” Xi said at the outset.
The last time a sitting KMT chief met with the Communist Party leadership was in November 2016, when then-chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu visited the mainland and met Xi.
Xi also blamed Taiwan independence forces for destroying cross-strait peace.
