Taiwan’s independence ‘will not be tolerated’, Xi tells opposition leader

BEIJING/TAIPEI: Chinese President Xi Jinping has warned that Beijing will “absolutely not tolerate” Taiwan’s independence, as he met a senior opposition leader from the island amid rising cross-strait tensions.

According to Reuters, Xi made the remarks during a meeting with Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of Taiwan’s main opposition Kuomintang (KMT), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Cheng is currently in China on what she described as a “peace mission” aimed at reducing tensions, as Beijing continues to increase military pressure on Taiwan, which it claims as its territory.

During the meeting, Xi stressed that people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are part of “one family” and called for greater cooperation and exchanges. However, he reiterated China’s firm stance against Taiwan independence, calling it the “chief culprit” undermining regional peace.

He also urged closer coordination between the KMT and the Communist Party to advance what he described as the goal of “reunification”.

China has refused to engage with Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te, labelling him a “separatist”. Taipei has repeatedly urged Beijing to instead engage with its democratically elected government.

Meanwhile, Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) criticised the opposition’s China outreach. Senior DPP official Hsu Kuo-yung accused the KMT of undermining defence preparedness by delaying key military spending approvals.

Rising military pressure

Taiwanese officials have also expressed concern over a surge in Chinese military activity around the island.

Defence Minister Wellington Koo said China is steadily expanding its military capabilities, warning that the threat to Taiwan is becoming “increasingly severe”.

Security officials told Reuters that nearly 100 Chinese naval and coast guard vessels have been deployed in surrounding waters this week — significantly higher than the usual 50 to 60 ships — describing the increase as “very rare”.

Taiwan’s government views the developments as particularly sensitive given ongoing political disputes over defence spending and shifting global attention towards conflicts in the Middle East.

China, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province, has not ruled out the use of force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims and maintains that only its people can decide their future.

Despite Beijing’s messaging of peace during high-level meetings, Taiwan says Chinese warships and aircraft continue to operate near the island on a near-daily basis.

Officials also pointed to China’s declaration of restricted airspace off its eastern coast in recent weeks, a move analysts believe could be linked to military drills or efforts to monitor U.S. activity in the region.

The United States, Taiwan’s main international backer and arms supplier, has supported Taipei’s plans to boost defence spending, while China has repeatedly urged Washington to stop providing military assistance to the island.