A KMT-CCP think tank forum held on Tuesday in Beijing is seen as paving the way for a potential “Cheng-Xi meeting,” a meeting between KMT Chairperson Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) this summer, experts warned Friday.

At a seminar hosted by Tunghai University’s Center for Mainland China and Regional Development Research titled “From KMT-CCP Forum to Cheng-Xi Meeting: China's Strategy to Manipulate Taiwan Public Opinion,” former deputy executive director Hung Pu-chao (洪浦釗) said the forum aims to create the illusion of shifting Taiwan public opinion to influence the U.S.

Hung believes that the function of the forum has never been about cross-strait relations. Rather, the CCP mainly uses it to shape the image of Taiwan’s public opinion shifting and convincing the U.S. that Taiwan is not blindly accepting so-called Western democratic values, but is a manageable bargaining chip, whether the shift is real or fake. 

Hung noted that immediately after the forum, President Xi called Donald Trump, with Xinhua News issuing a report framing Taiwan as the most important issue in U.S.-China relations, setting the stage for an April Trump-Xi meeting.

National Chengchi University’s Institute of International Relations associate research fellow Tseng Wei-feng (曾偉峯) added that Trump prioritizes U.S. interests, including semiconductor supply chains and the first island chain secured by Taiwan Strait stability. However, if Trump buys into CCP narratives that unification would not harm U.S. interests, it’s a worry for Taiwan. He urged Taiwan to maintain ties with U.S. politicians and think tanks, publicize reliable polls, and counter CCP narratives to avoid misunderstanding.