The leader of Taiwan’s main opposition party, Kuomintang (KMT) chairperson Cheng Li-wun, has arrived in China for a six-day visit and is expected to meet President Xi Jinping.
Cheng, who took over as KMT leader last year, said she “gladly accepted” President Xi’s invitation and hopes to serve as a “bridge for peace” between the two sides.
Her trip — which will take her to Shanghai, Nanjing, and Beijing — marks the first visit to mainland China by an incumbent KMT chairperson in a decade. She is scheduled to hold talks with Xi later during the visit.
The timing of the trip is significant. It comes amid heightened cross-strait tensions and growing scepticism in Taiwan about US commitment, partly due to President Donald Trump’s mixed signals on Taiwan policy.
The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) strongly criticised Cheng’s visit, calling it “subservient” to Beijing and accusing the trip of being “completely controlled” by the Chinese Communist Party. Premier Cho Jung-tai said the government would closely monitor the visit.
Cheng has traditionally been seen as more open to engagement with Beijing compared to the current DPP government under President Lai Ching-te. Analysts say she is trying to position herself as a leader capable of reducing cross-strait tensions and resuming dialogue, especially ahead of local elections later this year.
However, her accommodating stance towards China has drawn criticism within Taiwan, where many view it as opportunistic and lacking firm principle. Polls currently show limited public confidence in her leadership.
Beijing considers self-governed Taiwan as part of China and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve unification. Most Taiwanese prefer to maintain the current “status quo” — neither formal independence nor unification.
Cheng’s visit comes just weeks before Xi Jinping is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump in Beijing in mid-May. Some observers believe Beijing is using the meeting with the Taiwanese opposition to strengthen its narrative and reduce the urgency of US-Taiwan defence cooperation.
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