Kuomintang (KMT) chairperson Cheng Li-wun has begun a rare six-day visit to mainland China at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, saying the trip is intended to advance cross-strait peace and dialogue.
Cheng told reporters the visit is meant to demonstrate that calls for peace are not one-sided and to test the willingness of the Communist Party of China to resolve differences through peaceful exchanges. She said preserving peace is essential for Taiwan and urged gradual confidence-building measures between the two sides.
Her itinerary includes stops in Shanghai, Nanjing and Beijing, where she hopes to meet President Xi; Beijing has not confirmed any such meeting. This marks the first time in a decade that a leader of Taiwan’s main opposition party has traveled to the mainland.
The KMT favors closer ties with China, which claims Taiwan as its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve unification. Cheng has faced criticism at home from opponents who view her as too conciliatory toward Beijing; Xi sent her a congratulatory message when she assumed KMT leadership in October.
The visit comes ahead of a planned meeting in Beijing between Xi and US President Donald Trump in May. It also coincides with a stalemate in Taiwan’s legislature, where the opposition-controlled body has delayed consideration of a proposed $40 billion special defense budget. Washington has urged Taiwanese opposition lawmakers to support defense procurement, including US-sourced weapons, to help deter potential military pressure from China.