TAIPEI (Reuters) – The situation in the Taiwan Strait is “complex and grim”, Chinese President Xi Jinping wrote in a congratulatory letter on Sunday to the newly elected leader of Taiwan’s main opposition party, who has pledged to renew talks with Beijing.

Taiwan’s Kuomintang (KMT) elected as their leader on Saturday former New Taipei City mayor Eric Chu (https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taiwan-opposition-partys-new-leader-pledges-renewed-talks-with-china-2021-09-25), who said he would rekindle stalled high-level contacts with China’s ruling Communist Party.

China has claimed Taiwan as its territory. It is exerting military and political pressure on Taiwan to recognize Chinese sovereignty. However, most Taiwanese are not interested in Beijing governing them.

Xi stated that both sides had enjoyed “good interactions”, based on their mutual opposition to Taiwan independence.

“The current Taiwan Strait situation is complicated and grave. Xi wrote that all the children and grandchildren of China must unite and work together to move forward. He is also the head of the Communist Party.

He expressed the hope that both sides could work together to “seek peace in Taiwan Strait, seek national reunification or revitalisation”.

Chu, who lost the 2016 Presidential election to Tsai Ingwen badly, replied to Xi saying that both parties on the Taiwan Strait had “all the Yellow Emperor’s children” – literally, all Han Chinese.

Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party (NYSE 🙂 Party (DPP) was blamed by Chu for inciting tensions with Beijing, after he pursued anti-China policies.

Chu said that he hoped to find common ground with Xi, respect his differences, build trust and mutuality, and increase cooperation and exchanges to ensure the peace and development of cross-strait relationships.

The 17 month tenure of Johnny Chiang as the KMT’s leader saw high-ranking contacts with China stop amid tensions between military and Beijing. There was also suspicion from Beijing that the party wasn’t committed enough to Taiwan being part “one China”.

The KMT lost the 2016 elections and was defeated in the last election after they failed to dispel DPP allegations that they were Beijing’s spies.

China refused to speak to Tsai and called her a separatist. Tsai claims Taiwan is an independent nation called the Republic of China. Taiwan’s official name is the Republic of China. Only Taiwanese have the power to determine their future.