On China trip, Taiwan's opposition leader Cheng vows 'reconciliation'

Taiwan's opposition leader Cheng Li-wun vowed "reconciliation" and "unity" across the Taiwan Strait during her ongoing visit to mainland China.

Leading a delegation from her Kuomintang (KMT) party, Cheng paid homage at the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing, capital of China’s eastern Jiangsu province.

She reached China on Tuesday and first paid tributes to Sun Yat-sen, the founder of the KMT.

The core principle that “all under heaven are equal” reflects values of inclusiveness, unity, and cooperation, said Cheng, emphasizing shared historical ideals rooted in Sun’s vision.

“We should work together to promote reconciliation and unity across the Taiwan Strait and create regional prosperity and peace,” she said, highlighting the need to reduce tensions and build common ground.

Cheng pointed to Taiwan’s development under the KMT, saying the party had helped build a society, but acknowledged what she described as significant progress and development in the mainland: it has “exceeded expectations and imagination.”

The Taiwanese main opposition party leader's trip to China marks the first visit by a KMT leader to the mainland in a decade.

She is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who invited Cheng to China.

The visit is seen as an important step in dialogue and exchanges between the KMT and China’s Communist Party.

Cheng was elected as the chairwoman of KMT in October 2025.

China considers Taiwan its “breakaway province,” while Taipei has insisted on its independence since 1949.

The visit has also assumed significance as Xi is set to host US President Donald Trump next month.