Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) accepted an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to visit next month, her party and Chinese state media reported yesterday.
Cheng, who took up her role in November last year, “gladly accepted” the invitation to lead a delegation to China, the KMT said in a statement, confirming a Xinhua news agency report.
Cheng “looks forward to joint efforts by both parties to advance the peaceful development of cross-strait relations, promote cross-strait exchanges and cooperation, and work for peace in the Taiwan Strait and greater well-being for people on both sides,” the statement said.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
Chinese state media said the delegation would visit the eastern province of Jiangsu, Shanghai and Beijing from Tuesday next week to April 12, but did not specify if Cheng would meet with Xi, which she has been publicly pushing for.
Cheng at news conference yesterday said it has been 10 years since the last visit to China by a KMT chair, referring to November 2016 when then-KMT chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) met with Xi in Beijing.
Cheng expressed the hope that the trip can mark a successful first step toward peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
From former KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰) to former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), and now with her visit to China, all have opposed Taiwan independence and upheld the so-called “1992 consensus” based on a shared political foundation, she said.
“Opposing Taiwan independence can prevent war, and the 1992 consensus can create peace,” she said.
The so-called “1992 consensus” — a term that former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted making up in 2000 — refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party that both sides of the Taiwan Strait acknowledge that there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
President William Lai’s (賴清德) Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has never acknowledged the “1992 consensus,” arguing that agreeing to it implies acceptance of China’s claim over Taiwan.
Cheng yesterday said that since Lien’s visit to China, opposing Taiwanese independence and upholding the “1992 consensus” have been formally written into the KMT party charter, reflecting the party’s consistent cross-strait policy, adding that this stance also aligns with the provisions and spirit of the Constitution.
“The entire world follows the ‘one China’ policy and does not support Taiwanese independence, including long-time ally the US, which has consistently expressed a clear position,” she said, adding that she believes this reflects a shared expectation and is the heartfelt hope of mainstream public opinion.
When asked whether she would prioritize interactions with China over those with the US, she said that cross-strait relations are of utmost importance and the same applies to relations with the US.
“There is no either-or, no question of one being more important than the other,” she said.
Using a popular Internet phrase, she said: “Only children make choices — Taiwan wants it all.”
There are concerns within the KMT that a Cheng-Xi meeting could trigger a voter backlash in the local elections in November.
While the KMT has long supported friendlier relations with Beijing, Cheng has been accused by the DPP of doing Beijing’s bidding by stalling the government’s defense budget.
Asked whether she would meet with Lai before departing, Cheng said that she is very willing to meet and exchange views with Lai, whether before leaving or after completing the visit.
There are too many “knots” between them that need to be untangled, she said, adding that Taiwan cannot continue with endless internal conflict.
“For the sake of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, I am always willing to engage in dialogue with Lai on cross-strait developments, domestic disputes and the constitutional deadlock,” she said.
The legislature is debating proposals for a special defense budget aimed at boosting the nation’s military capabilities against a potential Chinese attack.
Lai’s government has proposed NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.07 billion) in spending on critical defense purchases, including US arms, while the KMT wants to allocate NT$380 billion for US weapons with the option for more acquisitions, but some KMT lawmakers are pushing for a much higher budget than the one proposed by the party, signaling an internal split over defense.
Cheng’s trip to China was announced as a US bipartisan congressional delegation visited Taiwan, dialing up pressure for greater military spending.
Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) yesterday said that at a time when the legislature still refuses to review the general budget and the special defense budget, the public should be even more eager for Cheng to explain why she is actively pursuing such a meeting in China under these circumstances.
In response, the KMT criticized the Presidential Office, saying that instead of looking positively at any cross-strait interactions that could help reduce risks and prevent misjudgements, it is eager to deliberately link the legislature’s budget review with cross-strait exchanges.
Cheng’s gesture of goodwill is being treated as hostility, it said.
“If the Presidential Office filters every opportunity for dialogue through a political lens, how can the public believe the DPP is truly committed to addressing cross-strait issues?” it said.
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