KMT chief Cheng Li-wun, the party’s first leader to visit China in a decade, hopes to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. Published On 8 Apr 20268 Apr 2026Taiwan’s main opposition leader has used a high-profile visit to China to push for dialogue with Beijing, invoking the legacy of revolutionary figure Sun Yat-sen amid rising cross-strait tensions.Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Kuomintang (KMT) party, laid a wreath at Sun’s mausoleum in Nanjing on Wednesday, in a gesture steeped in historical symbolism.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listThe city once served as the capital of the Republic of China before the KMT retreated to Taiwan in 1949 after losing the civil war to the communists led by Mao Zedong.“The core values of Sun Yat-sen’s ideal that ‘all under heaven are equal’ have always been equality, inclusiveness, and unity,” Cheng said, in remarks broadcast live on Taiwanese television.“We should work together to promote reconciliation and unity across the [Taiwan] Strait and create regional prosperity and peace.” Cheng Li-wun speaks at a dinner gala with China’s Director of Taiwan Affairs Office Song Tao in Shanghai, China, April 7, 2026 [Handout/Kuomintang via AP]Cheng is the first KMT leader to visit China in a decade. During her trip, she also hopes to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping.Her visit comes at a moment of heightened friction between Taipei and Beijing, as China continues to assert sovereignty over Taiwan while refusing to engage with President William Lai Ching-te, whom it labels a “separatist”.The wars in Ukraine, Gaza and Iran have also left many Taiwanese wondering whether a distracted United States, Taiwan’s unofficial security guarantor, would actually help them during a future conflict with China. Advertisement In the face of these concerns, the idea of thawing ties with China still appeals to some Taiwanese voters, said Wen-ti Sung, a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub.“If Chairperson Cheng can have cordial photo ops with Xi …
