Taiwan’s opposition Kuomintang (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun announced that she will lead a delegation to China from April 7 to 12, reportedly at the invitation of Xi Jinping. The itinerary will cover Jiangsu, Shanghai, and Beijing, though whether she will meet with Xi remains unconfirmed.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office stated that the visit aims to promote development of relations between the two parties and cross-strait relations, and emphasized that the KMT delegation is welcome. The KMT said it hopes to use the visit for exchange and cooperation to promote peace in the Taiwan Strait and improve the well-being of people on both sides.
At a press conference, Cheng stressed that the KMT will advance cross-strait dialogue based on the “1992 Consensus” and reiterated its opposition to Taiwan independence. She argued that cross-strait relations need not escalate into conflict and that there remains room for cooperation. Regarding concerns about whether the visit could affect relations with the United States, she said that relations with China and the U.S. are equally important and denied that any trade-off exists.
The visit comes at a sensitive regional moment. Former U.S. President Trump is expected to visit China soon, attracting attention to U.S.-China interactions. Meanwhile, Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is pushing for a large defense budget and seeking legislative approval. China continues to refuse contact with the DPP government but maintains engagement with senior KMT officials.
Additionally, bipartisan U.S. senators are visiting Taiwan on the same day, focusing on arms procurement, further highlighting the international significance of Taiwan Strait issues. Analysts note that Cheng’s trip may be seen as a key step by the opposition in deepening engagement with China and could influence cross-strait and U.S.-China relations.