Chinese President Xi Jinping met with the leader of Taiwan's opposition party, the Kuomintang, Chen Li-won: the woman became the first opposition leader to visit China in the last ten years.
This is reported by the BBC.
“The leaders of our parties are meeting today to safeguard the peace and stability of our common homeland, promote the peaceful development of cross-strait relations, and enable future generations to share a bright and beautiful future,” Xi Jinping said.
He added that China is ready to strengthen dialogue with various parties, including the Kuomintang, provided that they abandon the idea of Taiwan independence. According to him, people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are Chinese and they all seek peace. In response, Chen Li-won stated that “the revival of the Chinese people is the common aspiration of people on both sides” and added that this will be “a positive contribution to world peace and the progress of mankind.” At a press conference after a closed-door meeting with Xi Jinping, the opposition leader said that young people should understand: preserving the “1992 consensus” The “1992 Consensus” is an agreement between the then ruling Kuomintang Party and the Communist Party of China on the existence of “one China”, which, at the same time, allows for different interpretations of this concept. The DPP rejects this consensus, believing that it undermines Taiwan's sovereignty. (the verbal agreement on one China) is a way to “avoid war, prevent tragedy, cooperate and create peace”.
Beijing cut off active contacts with Taiwan in 2016, when Tsai Ing-wen took office, citing her refusal to support the concept of a “one Chinese nation.” Tsai Ing-wen, chairwoman of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), criticized Chen's visit, accusing her of “submissiveness” to Beijing. The Kuomintang currently maintains warm relations with China. Beijing, in turn, refuses to hold formal dialogue with Taiwan's President Lai Tsing-de, whom it calls a “separatist.”
What is known about the conflict between the PRC and Taiwan?
The PRC authorities consider independent and self-governing Taiwan to be their territory and do not rule out the use of force to seize it. Taiwan considers itself a separate state from mainland China, has its own constitution and democratically elected leaders. The aggravation of relations between the countries occurred against the backdrop of the visit to Taiwan in the summer of 2022 of the Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi. She became the first high-ranking American politician to visit Taiwan in the last 25 years. On December 26, 2022, Taiwan announced the largest violation of the island's airspace by the Chinese Air Force. In the past 24 hours, 71 Chinese Air Force aircraft, including fighter jets and drones, entered the island's air defense identification zone.
Since then, China has been steadily increasing pressure on the country: in particular, the PRC army conducted military exercises near Taiwan during the Chinese New Year. Also, on January 17, a Chinese reconnaissance drone entered Taiwanese airspace for the first time near the Pratas Islands.
On April 2, the head of Taiwan's Ocean Affairs Council, Guan Biling, said that the country would strengthen security measures near the Pratas Islands due to increased Chinese activity in the area.