Xi said the Communist Party and the KMT shared a “common political foundation” of opposing Taiwan independence and support for “one China” based on the “1992 consensus”.

That unofficial verbal agreement – reached in 1992 by Beijing and the KMT, which at the time held power in Taipei – stated that there was only one China but did not clearly define what that meant, allowing room for each side to have its own interpretation.

Tensions have been rising between Beijing and Taipei since the island’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party took power in 2016 and refused to accept the one-China principle.

According to Xinhua, Cheng sent her appreciation to Xi for the message and said the KMT would “strengthen cross-strait communication and promote peace in the Taiwan Strait”.