China's Xi Feels 'Insecurity' at Home, Won't Attack Soon—Taiwan Official

China may not attack Taiwan in the immediate future because domestic troubles will keep Beijing busy at home, a leading Taiwanese official has said.

"In the short term, I don't see any intention to use military force to seize Taiwan," said Wellington Koo, the secretary-general of Taiwan's National Security Council, during a legislative session.

Koo said on Thursday that widespread mourning for former Premier Li Keqiang revealed Xi Jinping's domestic insecurities, likely keeping the Chinese leader busy at home.

Li died on October 27 after suffering a heart attack in Shanghai, according to Chinese state media. Li was once widely slated to become the next leader of China before Xi secured power after sidelining his rivals.

Li's death may not pose an immediate challenge to the current Chinese leader, but people in China have marked his passing with mourning and indirect criticism of Xi.

Li was cremated in Beijing on Thursday with the top leadership, including Xi and other members of the Chinese Communist Party's Politburo Standing Committee, paying their respects.

New details have also emerged about Li's passing. Xinhua, China's official news agency, reported on Thursday that the leadership visited Li in the hospital, where he is said to have died after attempts to rescue him failed.

"Li was extolled as an excellent CPC member, a time-tested and loyal communist soldier and an outstanding proletarian revolutionist, statesman and leader of the party and the state," Xinhua said.

Koo said, while commenting on an upcoming potential meeting between Xi and Biden during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, "Although the strategic competition between the United States and China will not change, both sides want to manage risks, and the CCP still focuses on domestic affairs."

Koo believes that Xi has decided to prioritize national security for his second decade in power.

"Xi Jinping still believes that maintaining stability is more important than economic development," he said.

Bureaucrats within Xi's government have themselves underscored the importance of security over development.

Zhang Jun, president of the Supreme People's Court, recently said that "security is a precondition for development" at an event marking the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, China's global infrastructure development drive.

When asked about the potential of an attack on Taiwan over the next two years, Koo said that he couldn't predict so far ahead, but he added that Xi had a monopoly on power and provocative actions from China remain possible.

Koo said that Taiwan needs to boost its self-defense while "preparing for war in order to avoid war."