Overview
- The Xi–Cheng meeting in Beijing on Friday capped a six-day KMT visit and was followed by a 10-point plan to expand flights, reopen tourism, ease farm trade, and widen cultural exchanges.
- Xi struck a softer public tone by invoking the 1992 Consensus and outlining a four-point pitch for closer ties, while avoiding explicit references to the One China Principle or One Country, Two Systems.
- Taiwan’s Defense Ministry reported Chinese warships and aircraft around the island during the trip, highlighting that military pressure continued alongside political outreach.
- Taiwan’s large special defense bill, roughly NT$1.25 trillion (about US$40 billion), remains stuck in the legislature as KMT leaders favor engagement and have slowed deliberations.
- Analysts say the choreography targeted Taiwanese voters and U.S. audiences ahead of a planned Trump–Xi summit in May, drawing mixed reactions on the island where surveys show a strong Taiwanese identity.