Xi Jinping Courts Kuomintang to Pressure Taiwan Toward Unification

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is utilizing the second term of U.S. President Donald Trump as a window of opportunity to push Taiwan toward unification. Beijing is executing a strategy that combines military pressure and cognitive warfare—including AI-generated deepfakes—to convince Taiwanese voters that resistance is futile and that U.S. security commitments are unreliable.

As part of this effort, Beijing is courting the Kuomintang (KMT), Taiwan's main opposition party. KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun recently completed a six-day tour of mainland China, which included a meeting with Xi Jinping. Reports indicate that Cheng used language opposing Taiwanese independence that was coordinated in advance with Chinese officials.

While the KMT holds significant power in local politics and the legislature, public support for unification remains low. Some party members have expressed concern that Cheng's overt closeness to Beijing may alienate the Taiwanese electorate. Meanwhile, the Mainland Affairs Council has identified Beijing's specific intent to exploit perceptions that President Trump might sacrifice support for Taiwan to improve relations with China.