Taiwan's opposition leader calls for reconciliation, regional stability during rare China visit

Nanjing [China], April 8 : Taiwan's opposition leader and Kuomintang (KMT) Chairperson Cheng Li-wun on Wednesday called for reconciliation and regional stability during a rare visit to China, as she paid tribute to Dr Sun Yat-sen at his mausoleum in Nanjing, China, Focus Taiwan reported.

According to Focus Taiwan, during her visit, Cheng highlighted the Republic of China (ROC) and emphasised the need for peace across the Taiwan Strait.

After offering respects, she said Sun was admired not only for overthrowing the Qing Dynasty but also for establishing "Asia's first democratic republic - the Republic of China (ROC)."

The ROC is Taiwan's official name. Following the Chinese Civil War in 1949, the ROC government, led by the KMT, relocated to Taiwan after losing to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which subsequently founded the People's Republic of China (PRC).

Referring to Sun's final message, she said, "The revolution has not yet succeeded; comrades must still strive on," urging both sides to work toward reconciliation, unity, and regional stability, as reported by Focus Taiwan.

Wednesday marked the second day of Cheng's six-day visit to China, undertaken at the invitation of the CCP Central Committee. Her itinerary includes visits to China's Jiangsu Province, Shanghai, and Beijing.

Although Song Tao, director of China's Taiwan Affairs Office, received Cheng upon her arrival in Shanghai on Tuesday, it remains unclear whether she will meet Xi during the visit.

Cheng departed for China on Tuesday, describing the trip as a "peace tour" amid mixed reactions in Taiwan.

"Through this trip to the mainland, we want to show the world that the desire for peace is not coming from Taiwan alone," she said before leaving Taipei, as reported by Focus Taiwan.

She also expressed hope to see "the sincerity and determination of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to engage in peaceful dialogue and exchanges across the Taiwan Strait and resolve any possible differences".

Criticising the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Cheng said it was wary of China and added that her visit aimed to demonstrate that "peace across the Taiwan Strait is not as difficult as they think", as reported by Focus Taiwan.

"If the KMT and the CCP can reconcile and work together for peace, why can't Taiwan's blue (KMT) and green (DPP) camps do the same?" she questioned.

Cheng also noted that she had sought, but not secured, a meeting with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te ahead of the trip.

Reacting to Wednesday's remarks, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Cheng had referred to the ROC "in a veiled manner", similar to previous KMT leaders during visits to China. The council added that such references are unlikely to be reported by Chinese media and primarily serve to address audiences in Taiwan.

The MAC also stated that the CCP portrays Sun as "a forerunner of the Chinese revolution" while disregarding the continued existence of the ROC, adding that Cheng, as KMT chairperson, "should have rejected such wording", Focus Taiwan reported.

China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force for reunification, despite never having governed the island, and has increased military pressure in recent years.

Cheng said that while past conflicts cannot be undone, future ones can still be prevented, stressing the need to avoid further devastation for coming generations.

Meanwhile, Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai said the government would monitor the visit closely while respecting party-level exchanges, adding that such interactions should remain under public and media scrutiny, as reported by Focus Taiwan. Cheng's visit is scheduled to continue through Sunday.

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