Taiwan's opposition is pushing President Lai Ching-te to build cross-party consensus before Trump and Xi meet again, and the ruling party is brushing it off — a sign Taiwan remains politically split as US-China talks accelerate.

• The KMT wants Lai to convene a national affairs conference with all party leaders on Taiwan Strait security, US-China relations, and China policy.
• The argument: Trump and Xi keep talking precisely because their differences are dangerous, and Taiwan should copy that habit.
• Xi said after the White House meeting that he and Trump will meet twice more before year-end — at APEC in Shenzhen in November and the G20 in Miami in December.
• The DPP says the real urgency is the budget, accusing the opposition of stalling this year's spending plan for over 350 days.
• Lai's government is criticized for refusing talks at home while cross-strait political dialogue stays frozen.

Outlook: No conference looks likely soon, with the legislature's new session set to turn into another budget fight instead.