Taiwans Opposition Leader Hopes to Meet Chinas Xi in 1st Half of 2026

Newly elected opposition Kuomintang (KMT) leader Cheng Li-wun delivers her speech during the Kuomintang (KMT) 12th National Congress in Taipei on Nov. 1, 2025. I-Hwa Cheng/AFP via Getty ImagesTAIPEI—Taiwan’s opposition leader expressed hope that she could meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in the first half of 2026, as Beijing intensifies military pressure and coercion against Taiwan under President Lai Ching-te’s administration.Cheng Li-wun, a former lawmaker who became chair of the Kuomintang, or KMT, in November, made the remarks during a local radio interview on Dec. 26. She said she would not travel to China unless a meeting with Xi had been arranged.