China's leader, Xi Jinping, sent a note to the new head of Taiwan's opposition party, Cheng Li-wun. He talked about bringing Taiwan and China closer together. This is a big deal because Taiwan and China don't always get along. China sees Taiwan as part of its territory, but Taiwan disagrees.

Cheng is the new leader of the Kuomintang (KMT) party. This party usually likes to work with China. Xi said both parties should work together for peace and development. But Cheng didn't mention anything about uniting with China. She just said both sides should talk and cooperate.

The KMT didn't win the last presidential election, but they have the most seats in Taiwan's parliament. Cheng is against increasing military spending, which is something the current president, Lai Ching-te, wants to do.

There were some accusations that China tried to interfere in the KMT's election. Some people said there was fake news on social media. China said this wasn't official, but it's still a big issue.

Jaw Shau-kong, a KMT member, said the party needs to be less influenced by China. He said most Taiwanese want peaceful relations with China, but elections happen in Taiwan, not China.

The current ruling party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), said there were signs of Chinese interference. But the KMT didn't take this seriously and asked, "Who is this? "

CROSS STRAIT TENSIONS

Taiwan's Opposition Leader Gets a Message from China's President

Continue reading...