In a significant shift for cross-strait relations, Cheng Li-wun, the chairperson of Taiwan’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), recently completed a rare visit to the People’s Republic of China. The trip culminated in a high-profile summit on April 10, 2026, where Cheng met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing BBC News.
This visit marks the first time a sitting KMT leader has traveled to China in a decade. The last such visit occurred in 2016 when then-leader Hung Hsiu-chu led a delegation to Beijing and Nanjing Atlantic Council. The gap in leadership visits reflects a prolonged period of frozen high-level communications, which Beijing severed in 2016 following the election of President Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) due to her refusal to endorse the concept of a single Chinese nation BBC News.
The meeting between Cheng Li-wun and Xi Jinping is being viewed as an experiment in “party-to-party diplomacy.” By engaging with the KMT rather than the official government in Taipei, Beijing is attempting to maintain a channel of communication with Taiwan’s political landscape while continuing to bypass the current DPP administration Atlantic Council.
Diplomatic Narratives and the Quest for Peace
During their meeting, both leaders emphasized a shared desire for cross-strait peace. President Xi Jinping stated that the meeting was intended to “safeguard the peace and stability of our shared homeland” and to “promote the peaceful development of cross-strait relations” BBC News. However, this openness came with a strict condition: any strengthened exchange and dialogue with parties like the KMT must be based on the condition of opposing Taiwan independence BBC News.
Cheng Li-wun framed her visit as a mission for peace, asserting that the “rejuvenation of the Chinese people is a shared aspiration of the people on both sides of the Strait” BBC News. In a press conference following her closed-door talks with Xi, Cheng emphasized that maintaining the 1992 Consensus and opposing Taiwan independence are the primary ways to “avoid war, prevent tragedy, work together and create peace” BBC News.
A Strategic Itinerary: Nanjing, Shanghai, and Beijing
The KMT delegation’s travel itinerary was designed to reinforce philosophical and economic ties. The visit began in Nanjing, where Cheng visited the mausoleum of Sun Yat-sen, the spiritual godfather of the KMT Atlantic Council.
The delegation then moved to Shanghai, where the focus shifted to economic interests. Cheng highlighted the importance of Taiwanese business interests in China and held meetings with the city’s party secretary, Chen Jining, who is noted as a frontrunner to join the CCP’s Politburo Standing Committee next year Atlantic Council. The trip concluded in Beijing with the summit at the Great Hall of the People.
Domestic Reaction and Political Implications
The visit has sparked significant political friction within Taiwan. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has criticized the trip, with some accusing Cheng of being “subservient” to Beijing BBC News. This tension highlights the deep divide in Taiwan regarding how to handle relations with the PRC, particularly concerning the “one China” principle and the 1992 Consensus.
For the KMT, Cheng’s visit represents a return to a more Beijing-friendly wing of the party. Similar to Hung Hsiu-chu in 2016, Cheng is viewed by some as a relative outsider to the party establishment, representing a faction more amenable to Beijing’s diplomatic overtures Atlantic Council. The three KMT chairmen who served between Hung and Cheng did not visit the PRC, as they were reportedly deemed insufficiently amenable to receive an invitation from Beijing Atlantic Council.
Key Takeaways of the Visit
- Party-to-Party Diplomacy: Beijing is utilizing the KMT as a proxy for communication, bypassing the official government-to-government channels with Taipei.
- The 1992 Consensus: Both Cheng Li-wun and Xi Jinping reinforced the importance of opposing Taiwan independence as a prerequisite for peace.
- Economic Ties: The visit to Shanghai underscored the continued importance of Taiwanese business investments within the PRC.
- Historical Symbolism: The visit to Sun Yat-sen’s mausoleum in Nanjing served to connect current party leadership with the KMT’s foundational ideology.
As the geopolitical landscape remains volatile, the outcome of this “party-to-party” experiment remains to be seen. While Cheng views the dialogue as a positive contribution to world peace and human progress, the ruling DPP maintains that such engagements may compromise Taiwan’s sovereignty BBC News.
The next phase of this diplomatic effort will likely depend on whether Beijing expands these party-level invitations or if the KMT can leverage these meetings to secure tangible concessions for Taiwanese businesses and citizens.
We invite our readers to share their perspectives on this development in the comments below.