When Xi Jinping held the first-ever talks in Beijing with a former president of Taiwan, seeking to press the island closer to unification, a bookish-looking official stood out for his ease around China’s leader.

While others treated Xi with stiff formality, the official, Wang Huning, spoke confidently in his presence and sat next to him during the meeting, says Chiu Kun-shuan, a member of the delegation that accompanied Ma Ying-jeou, the former Taiwanese president.