Chinese President Xi Jinping calls situation with Taiwan ‘complex and grim’ in letter to new KMT chairman Eric Chu

The Chinese president told Chu that the Communist Party and Kuomintang must work together to ‘seek national reunification’

Chu, who unseated Johnny Chiang, met Xi in Beijing in 2015 during his previous spell as leader

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Eric Chu and supporters celebrate after his victory in the KMT leadership election. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 7:55pm, 26 Sep 2021Updated: 11:33pm, 26 Sep 2021

Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed the hope that Communist Party and Taiwan’s Kuomintang can work together to “seek national reunification” in a congratulatory letter to the KMT’s new leader Eric Chu.

Xi described the cross-strait situation as “complex and grim”, but said: “All the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation must work together with one heart and go forward together.”

Former New Taipei City mayor Chu was elected as the leader of KMT, Taiwan’s main opposition party, on Saturday. He replaces Johnny Chiang, who had served in the post since last March.

According to Xinhua, the state news agency, Xi wrote that the Communist Party and KMT had “good interactions” as they both opposed Taiwan independence and promoted the peaceful development of cross-strait relations.

He said that he hoped they could work together on “seeking peace in the Taiwan Strait, seeking national reunification and seeking national revitalisation”.

The congratulatory letter comes at a tense time for cross-strait relations under President Tsai Ing-wen from the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Most recently, Taiwan applied for membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, days after mainland China’s similar application. The application was strongly opposed by Beijing, which regards Taiwan as a breakaway province.