Taiwan Opposition Leader to Meet Xi in Beijing

The leader of Taiwan's main opposition party will visit China this week for a meeting with President Xi Jinping. Cheng Li-wun of the Kuomintang (KMT) party said she "gladly accepted" the invitation. She stated her goal is to become a "bridge for peace" between the two sides. The meeting in Beijing is highly unusual. Senior Chinese officials almost never meet directly with Taiwanese political figures. Taiwan is a self-ruled island. China claims it as part of its own territory and has not ruled out using force to achieve unification. The KMT party officially favors closer ties with Beijing but opposes immediate unification. The trip occurs just weeks before Taiwan's presidential inauguration. The current ruling party, which Beijing strongly dislikes, won that election. Analysts say the visit is a clear signal from China about its preferred political partner on the island.