TAIPEI/BEIJING: Taiwan’s main opposition leader Cheng Li-wun urged calm and reconciliation before departing for a six-day trip to China, saying the world cannot afford another crisis over the island at a time of global instability.
Cheng, chairwoman of the Kuomintang (KMT), will meet officials in Beijing, Shanghai and Jiangsu at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. She told party members in Taipei that people in Taiwan want peace, not to become one of the world’s most dangerous flashpoints.
“We promote reconciliation between ruling and opposition parties in Taiwan, and reconciliation across the Taiwan Strait,” Cheng said. “No one wants to see another military crisis when the international situation already feels turbulent.”
Her visit comes as Taiwan’s parliament stalls a $40 billion defense package backed by the United States. The KMT insists it supports strengthening defense but rejects what it calls “blank cheques.”
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council stressed that China’s ambition to annex the island will not change because of one party’s outreach.
In Beijing, Zhang Han, spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said the trip reflects a shared commitment by the Communist Party and KMT to “seek peace.” He promoted Beijing’s vision of “peaceful reunification,” promising economic opportunities and even a proposed rapid transit link across the strait.
Despite these assurances, opinion polls in Taiwan show little support for Beijing’s “one country, two systems” model. China has never ruled out using force to bring Taiwan under its control.
