Taiwan Opposition Figures Praise of Chinas Xi Sparks Backlash

Taiwan’s Kuomintang Chairperson Cheng Li-wun speaks to press following a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on April 10, 2026. Adek Berry/AFP via Getty ImagesThe recent high-profile meeting between Taiwanese opposition figure Cheng Li-wen and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing has triggered a wave of criticism in Taiwan, after Cheng publicly praised China’s development under Xi, using language closely associated with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) propaganda.During the April 10 meeting, Cheng—chair of Taiwan’s opposition Kuomintang (KMT)—credited Xi with leading China to “complete poverty alleviation” and achieving a “moderately prosperous society,” while expressing optimism about the country’s continued rise.