BEIJING/TAIPEI (Reuters) -Chinese President Xi Jinping called on Sunday for efforts to advance "reunification" in a message of congratulations to the new leader of Taiwan's main opposition party,

Donald Trump said that China knows that the United States "is the strongest military power in the world by far."

Chinese President Xi Jinping called on Sunday for efforts to advance “reunification” in a message of congratulations to the new leader of Taiwan’s main opposition party, whose election took place amid accusations of interference by Beijing.

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged closer ties and “reunification” with Taiwan in a message to newly elected Kuomintang leader Cheng Li-wun, amid scrutiny over alleged Beijing interference.

Ahead of the ongoing ‘fourth plenum’ conference, Xi Jinping carried out a purge at the top of the Communist Party and consolidated more military power than any Chinese ruler since Mao Zedong. He is expected to pack CPC’s top bodies with dozens of loyalists to further tighten his grip.

Chinese president says he hopes ‘common political foundation’ can be upheld after Cheng Li-wun is elected as Kuomintang chairperson.

Cheng Li-wun’s victory reshapes Taiwan’s opposition politics, setting up a new confrontation over the island’s ties to China

BEIJING/TAIPEI >> Chinese President Xi Jinping called on Sunday for efforts to advance “reunification” in a message of congratulations to the new leader of Taiwan’s main opposition party, whose election took place amid accusations of interference by Beijing.

Cheng, a former lawmaker who takes charge of the KMT on November 1, did not mention reunification in her reply to Xi.