Ian Tsung-yen Chen, a professor at the Institute of Political Science of Taiwan's National Sun Yat-sen University, said Beijing hopes the visit will stabilize the KMT's political momentum after Cheng's high-profile pro-China statements damaged the party's reputation.
“To some extent, Beijing is rushing this meeting to foster a sense of 'peaceful unification' among Taiwanese people, even though support for unification remains extremely low in Taiwan,” Chen told The Epoch Times.
Chen said Beijing expects the visit to yield immediate results, fearing a poor showing in Taiwan's late-2026 local elections would consolidate power for the governing DPP and further weaken the KMT's political standing.
“If the CCP wants to help the KMT shore up its political base, it likely needs to use this meeting with Cheng to deliver tangible political benefits,” Chen noted.
Similarly, Chen said Cheng's trip suggests the KMT might attempt to dilute strategic cooperation between Taiwan and the United States, though Washington's stance is expected to remain firm.
“The U.S. will likely pressure Taiwan's opposition to continuously strengthen self-defense capabilities and swiftly pass the overdue military budgets,” Chen said.
While a Cheng–Xi meeting remains unconfirmed, Chen said it would have little bearing on the Trump–Xi talks, should Taiwan even make it onto the agenda.
“Even if Cheng meets with Xi, both sides will merely parrot tired 'One China principle' rhetoric,” Chen said.