He insists on the responsibility to “improve relations” and asserts that the concept of “unity among Chinese people on both sides of the Strait” “will not change.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping received Cheng Li Wun—leader of the Kuomintang, Taiwan’s main opposition party—in Beijing this Friday. This meeting marked the first of its kind in a decade and took place amidst rising tensions between the Asian giant and the authorities on the island.
Cheng, who arrived in the Chinese city of Shanghai on Tuesday at the start of a trip she described as a “peace mission,” had been invited by the Communist Party of China. Consequently, she has become the first Kuomintang leader to head a delegation to mainland China in ten years, according to reports from the Xinhua news agency.
During the meeting, Xi emphasized that the encounter between the two holds “great importance for developing bilateral relations across the Taiwan Strait.” In this regard, he stated that “regardless of how international events unfold, the trend toward the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will not change.”
“The prevailing concept regarding the unity of Chinese people on both sides of the Strait will not change,” he clarified. “People on both sides hope for peace and tranquility, as well as improved relations and a better quality of life,” he declared. “This is a responsibility; we cannot let it slide, but must instead seize the opportunity to work together,” he concluded.
For her part, Cheng advocated for “regional economic integration”—a process she views as “crucial for the island’s development.” “Economic cooperation between both sides of the Strait and Taiwan’s participation in regional economic integration can be mutually reinforcing.” “Both sides should explore Taiwan’s accession to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP),” he noted, according to reports gathered by the Taiwanese broadcaster CNA.
Furthermore, he proposed “reinstating the consultation mechanism between both sides of the Strait,” while pointing out that the laws and regulations of both territories stipulate that “there is no relationship between two countries.”
“In 1992, authorized institutions from both sides reached a consensus to affirm their adherence to the ‘One China’ principle—seeking common ground while respecting differences—which became the political foundation for the consultation and contact mechanism between the two,” he said.
For this reason, he asserted that historical facts “are undeniable” and that, on this basis, “the consultation mechanism must be reinstated to foster goodwill.” “Another proposal is to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and promote mutual benefit between both sides. (…) Both sides must cooperate—in accordance with these regulations and realities—to manage differences, consult to resolve the confrontational situation, and contribute to regional security,” he concluded.
Ties between China and Taiwan were severed in 1949, after the forces of the nationalist Kuomintang party suffered defeat in the civil war against the Communist Party and relocated to the archipelago. Relations were re-established—albeit only at a business and informal level—in the 1980s.
The party governed Taiwan for five decades as a one-party state until the advent of democracy on the island, and its primary objective remains unification under the Chinese flag. Cheng has staunchly defended—against all odds—the so-called 1992 Consensus, the guiding principles of the Kuomintang’s pro-China policy.
