Taiwan Opposition Leader To Meet Xi Jinping's Minister Amid Soured Ties And China's War Games

A high-ranking official of Taiwan‘s opposition party, Kuomintang (KMT) is set to travel to China this week to meet Beijing's top decision-maker on Taipei affairs.

What Happened: The party, in an announcement on Monday, said KMT's Deputy Chairman, Andrew Hsia, would leave for China on Wednesday, reported Reuters. 

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The visit takes place amid ongoing military and political tensions between the two countries.

Hsia — a former Taiwanese diplomat and one-time head of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council — will meet Xi Jinping's newly appointed head of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, Song Tao.

Hsia and his delegation will “conduct exchanges and dialogue on the basis of equality and dignity,” the party said. 

They will “reflect Taiwan’s latest public concerns about the security of the Taiwan Strait and expectations for regional peace and stability.”

The visit marks a rare high-level interaction between top politicians from Taiwan and China after Beijing, over the past few years, ramped up pressure on Taipei to accept its sovereignty claims. 

Meanwhile, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office confirmed and welcomed Hsia’s visit. Taiwan's KMT has traditionally favored close ties with Beijing but strongly denies being pro-China.

Hsia’s previous visit to China in August — shortly after China staged war drills near Taiwan to express anger after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit — was condemned by Taiwan’s government.

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