Xi warns Taiwan opposition, calls independence ‘chief culprit’ to peace

Philippine Canadian Inquirer
April 12, 2026

BEIJING, China — In a high-stakes meeting at the Great Hall of the People, Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a stern warning to Taiwan’s opposition leader, stating that Beijing will “absolutely not tolerate” any movement toward formal independence for the island.

Speaking to Kuomintang (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun on Friday, Xi characterized independence forces as the primary obstacle to stability in the region and attaining cross-strait peace.

“Taiwan independence is the chief culprit that undermines peace across the Taiwan Strait,” Xi said, according to state media reports.

He emphasized that while the world faces significant unrest, the “historical inevitability” of a national reunification remains unchanged.

The meeting marks the first time in a decade that a Chinese head of state has met with an incumbent leader of the KMT.

The timing is particularly notable, occurring amid heightened military activity around the island and just weeks before a scheduled summit between Xi and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Chairwoman Cheng, who described her trip as a “peace mission,” echoed the need for stability, urging both sides to ensure the Taiwan Strait does not become a “chessboard” for external intervention—a veiled reference to Western involvement.

She called for the establishment of sustainable dialogue mechanisms to make peaceful development “irreversible.”

In response to the talks, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council issued a sharp rebuke from Taipei.

Minister Chiu Chui-cheng stated that the future of the island must be decided solely by its people and accused Beijing of attempting to frame Taiwan as a purely internal Chinese affair.

The KMT remains the primary advocate for a more conciliatory approach toward Beijing, contrasting with the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which rejects China’s sovereignty claims and has been labeled “separatist” by the mainland leadership.