Politics

Common Identity

Cheng Li-wun's visit to the Chinese mainland highlights a reaffirmed emphasis on common cultural and historical identity and political consensus as a basis for cross-Strait engagement, though Taiwan's internal political divisions constrain its broader impact

By Yu Xiaodong Updated Jun.1

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with a delegation of the Chinese Kuomintang party led by its chairwoman Cheng Li-wun, Beijing, April 10, 2026 (Photo by Xinhua)

On April 7, Cheng Li-wun, chairperson of the Chinese Kuomintang party (KMT), also known as the Chinese Nationalist Party and Taiwan's largest opposition party, embarked on a high-profile visit to the Chinese mainland. During her trip, Cheng visited several cities, including Nanjing in Jiangsu Province and Shanghai, as well as Beijing, where she held a keynote meeting with Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.　

Taking place amid a highly polarized political climate in Taiwan and intensifying China-US rivalry, the visit was closely watched and carried a layered significance that extends beyond symbolic party-to-party engagement. It reflects not only Beijing's unwavering commitment to and strategy for national reunification but also the evolving political landscape, while inviting broader scrutiny of the future trajectory of cross-Strait relations.

‘Historic' Visit

Cheng is the first sitting KMT leader to visit the Chinese mainland in a decade. The last visit came in 2016, when Hung Hsiu-chu, then KMT chair, led a delegation to Beijing and Nanjing. None of the three KMT chairpersons who served between Hung and Cheng visited the Chinese mainland.　

A year earlier, in November 2015, then Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou held a historic meeting with Xi Jinping in Singapore, the first meeting between leaders from both sides of the Taiwan Strait since the KMT lost the Chinese Civil War and retreated to Taiwan in 1949. This unresolved civil war and foreign interference resulted in prolonged political confrontation between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.　

During the eight years between 2008 and 2015, when the KMT was in power, the two sides maintained close economic and cultural ties under the political basis of the 1992 Consensus, which recognizes both sides of the Strait belong to "one China."　

After the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) came into power in 2016 and moved away from the 1992 Consensus, formal communication channels between the two sides were effectively suspended, leading to a rapid deterioration in cross-strait relations.　

This shift coincided with and was reinforced by a broader transformation in China-US relations as Donald Trump assumed the US presidency in 2016. As the US increasingly framed China as a strategic competitor, Taiwan assumed a more prominent role in US Indo-Pacific strategy, leading to expanded arms sales, higher-level political exchanges between the two sides, and growing congressional support.　

Former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan in August 2022 marked a sharp escalation in cross-Strait tensions, prompting China to launch large-scale military exercises around the island. Against this backdrop, cross- Strait relations entered a more volatile phase, with the Taiwan question becoming a major flashpoint in China-US relations.　

Meanwhile, the DPP has maintained its grip on power after its leader, Lai Ching-te, won the 2024 general election in a three-way race. However, with just 40 percent of the vote, the party's political footing has been weakened, while its confrontational stance toward the mainland has heightened concerns over cross-Strait stability.　

Despite his limited public support, Lai has not only doubled down on the DPP's pro-independence agenda but has also begun cracking down on political opponents from both the KMT and other parties, launching a series of legal and administrative actions against them.　

The most prominent case involves Ko Wen-je, the former mayor of Taipei and founder of Taiwan People's Party (TPP), who has advocated a more pragmatic approach to cross-Strait relations and an emphasis on technocratic rather than ideological-driven governance. Winning about 26.5 percent of the vote in the 2024 election, Ko drew strong support from younger and more centrist voters, a significant force that has eroded the DPP's base in recent years.　

Ko was detained for more than a year in 2024 on corruption-related charges and was sentenced to 17 years in jail in March of this year, a move that many believe was politically motivated.

Cheng's Ascent

It is against this backdrop that Cheng rose to become KMT chairperson in October 2025. She began her political career in the DPP in the 1990s before switching to the KMT in 2005, and has since been regarded as a relatively unconventional figure.　

By defeating more established figures in the intra-party election, Cheng's ascent to the KMT leadership suggests that after securing only about 33.5 percent of the vote in the 2024 election and facing growing competition from the DPP, the party's grassroots base is seeking a more assertive approach on key issues, particularly cross-Strait relations and questions of Taiwan's identity.　

While the KMT has traditionally supported engagement with the Chinese mainland, it has been rather evasive on the identity issue in past elections. By contrast, Cheng has articulated a more explicit and assertive framework, emphasizing that the founding and development of the KMT is inherently tied to a "one China" framework and calling for a clearer rejection of Taiwan independence narratives.　

On the campaign trail, Cheng argued that Taiwan's gradual shift toward a more distinct "Taiwanese" identity is not an organic social trend, but the result of "maliciously manipulation by the DPP." Cheng made it clear in her speech at Soochow University in Taipei in December 2025 that a Chinese identity is "a naturally cultural and historical identity," which is embedded in lived cultural experience. She criticized what she described as growing politicization and stigma surrounding Chinese identity under the DPP's rule, saying it has become "politically incorrect."　

In a speech in September 2025, Cheng said her goal is to "ensure that all people in Taiwan are able to proudly and confidently say, ‘I am Chinese.'" "The chairman of the KMT must hold a clear Chinese identity," she added, "And Taiwan as a whole must stop falling into the trap set by the DPP."　

With this new framework, Cheng described her visit as a "peace tour" aimed at defusing tensions and ensuring lasting peace in the Taiwan Strait. Emphasizing shared Chinese identity, Cheng called for the restoration of the 1992 Consensus, reiterating longstanding KMT positions on engagement with the Chinese mainland.　

Meanwhile, Chinese mainland authorities also repeatedly emphasized that channels of communication with Taiwan remain open, even as official ties with the DPP-led government remain frozen. In the government work report delivered at the annual National People's Congress session in March, "peaceful unification" remains a central theme of the central government's policy toward Taiwan.

Sun Yat-sen's Legacy

During the first leg of her trip, Cheng traveled to Nanjing and visited the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum. Born in 1866 and passed away in 1925, Sun was the founder of the KMT and led the Xinhai Revolution, which overthrew China's last dynasty, the Qing, in 1911.　

In his final years, Sun collaborated with the nascent CPC to reorganize the KMT and build a military force, aiming for a rejuvenated and unified China, though the collaboration soon failed after his death. On the mainland, Sun is also highly revered and is hailed as a "great pioneer of China's democratic revolution," with Chinese communists described as "the most steadfast supporters, loyal collaborators and faithful successors" of his cause, Xi said in a speech marking the 110th anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution in 2021.　

In the past, various KMT figures have visited the mausoleum to pay homage to Sun, but Cheng is perhaps the first to explicitly connect him to Taiwan. In a speech delivered following her visit, she invoked Taiwan's history under Japanese colonial rule.　

She recalled how people on the island "were filled with excitement," much like their compatriots on the Chinese mainland, when news of the Xinhai Revolution reached Taiwan in 1912, and how people in Taiwan shared a deep sense of grief at Sun's passing in 1925, despite three decades of Japanese rule.　

"Three hundred thousand people flooded the streets to see him off," she said, "Even under Japanese repression, memorial services were held across Taiwan on an unprecedented scale." She then linked the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931- 1945) in the Chinese mainland with Taiwan's suffering under Japan's colonial rule. "The resistance against Japanese aggression was marked by blood and tears. Only after Japan's defeat did Taiwan finally emerge from the calamity of 50 years of colonial rule," Cheng said.　

Highlighting that the separation of Taiwan and the Chinese mainland is a result of both Japanese imperialism and civil war, and recalling efforts by the KMT and CPC to reach the 1992 Consensus that stabilized cross-Strait relations, Cheng said she too hopes to "sow the seeds of peace."　

By emphasizing the hardships under Japanese rule and linking Taiwan to the legacy of Sun Yat-sen, Cheng appears to be pushing back against the DPP's portrayal of the KMT as a foreign regime, while also challenging more favorable interpretations of Japanese rule.　

In March, Lai said that Japan's colonization of Taiwan was intended to promote the "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere," referring to a wartime Japanese propaganda concept. These remarks drew criticism in both Taiwan and the Chinese mainland for whitewashing Japan's colonial rule.　

Born in 1970 in Yunlin, Taiwan, Cheng's father, Cheng Ching-hui, was originally from Pu'er, Yunnan, and served in the Chinese Expeditionary Force in Myanmar during WWII against Japan before relocating to Taiwan with his unit in the early 1950s. Her mother is from Yunlin.

Xi-Cheng Meeting

After visiting Nanjing, Cheng traveled to Beijing and met with Xi on April 10. According to the Xinhua News Agency, Xi reiterated that Beijing is willing to work with all political parties, including the KMT, as well as groups and people from all sectors, to strengthen exchanges and dialogue and promote peace across the Taiwan Strait, on the basis of the common political foundation of adhering to the 1992 Consensus and opposing "Taiwan independence."　

Emphasizing that "differences in social systems should not be an excuse for secession," Xi called for safeguarding the shared homeland through peaceful development.　

"We welcome any proposals conducive to the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and will spare no effort to advance any endeavors that promote such development," Xi said, adding that "Taiwan independence" is the chief culprit undermining peace across the Taiwan Strait. "We should neither condone nor tolerate it."　

Xi called for improving people's well-being through exchanges and integration. "Taiwan's development prospects hinge on a strong motherland, and the interests and well-being of Taiwan compatriots are closely linked to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," he added.　

Cheng said that people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are Chinese and belong to one family. The KMT and CPC should uphold the common political foundation of adhering to the 1992 Consensus and opposing "Taiwan independence," strengthen mutual political trust, preserve Chinese history, promote Chinese culture and expand exchanges and cooperation across all fields, Cheng said.　

"After a long course of historical development, many differences have emerged across the Strait, but both Taiwan's and the mainland's achievements are remarkable accomplishments of the Chinese nation," Cheng said in the press conference held after the meeting. "We can appreciate each other, respect each other and even learn from each other," Cheng added.　

As Cheng concluded her six-day trip on April 12, the Chinese mainland unveiled a package of 10 policies and measures to boost cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation. These included promoting the resumption of individual travel to Taiwan for residents of Shanghai and Fujian, and facilitating the entry of food products from qualified Taiwan manufacturers into the mainland market.　

Other proposals include closer infrastructure links between Fujian and the islands of Kinmen and Matsu, and easier access for Taiwan's agricultural, fishery and food products to the mainland market.　

The same day, Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a press conference that these measures are aimed at improving the lives of people on both sides of the Strait and meeting the needs of Taiwan compatriots. He also urged the DPP authorities to remove restrictions on the normalization of cross-Strait exchanges.

Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, leads a KMT delegation to pay homage to the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, Nanjing, East China’s Jiangsu Province, April 8, 2026 (Photo by VCG)

Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang party (KMT), leads a KMT delegation in a visit to the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), Shanghai, April 9, 2026 (Photo by VCG)

Opportunities and Constraints

For many observers, Cheng's visit, set against heightened tensions in the Taiwan Strait and ongoing conflict in the Middle East, represents a positive development for cross-Strait stability, offering new possibilities for engagement. However, given her status as an opposition figure, its overall impact is likely to be limited.　

Cheng is expected to face strong resistance, not only from the DPP but also from within the KMT. It remains unclear whether the party will be able to return to power in the 2028 general election, which she has said it is aiming to win.　

Prior to her trip, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council warned that she could face a maximum sentence of five years in prison if she engaged in behavior deemed to have "crossed the line." DPP politicians have also called for extending existing restrictions, currently applied to serving and retired public servants traveling to the Chinese mainland, to individuals with "significant political influence."　

According to Lei Qian, chairperson of the Chinese Women's Association in Taiwan and a political commentator, Cheng Li-wun's visit highlights the presence of strong voices within Taiwan that oppose independence to the international community.　

"In the past, regardless of how many people in Taiwan opposed Lai Ching-te's stance, international media narratives have largely reflected the line defined by the DPP, creating the impression that Taiwan as a whole supports that direction," Lei said in an episode of online program Cross-Strait Roundtable on April 9. "In reality, Taiwan encompasses a wide spectrum of views, and many do not endorse the DPP's approach, although these voices are far less audible internationally."　

Lei added that a key factor is the influence the US exerts over Taiwan's politics. "All major political parties in Taiwan operate on the assumption that it is very difficult to win a leadership election without US support," Lei said in a separate interview with domestic media guancha.cn on April 10, adding that both the DPP and KMT have sought to strengthen ties with Washington, which she said favors a certain level of tension in the Taiwan Strait over the long term.　

Lei said what distinguishes Cheng is her emphasis on greater autonomy for Taiwan in handling cross-Strait relations. "In the past, pro-US factions within the KMT have wielded considerable influence over cross-Strait policy," he said. "But Cheng has made her position clear: She favors addressing cross-Strait issues through Taiwan's own initiatives and goodwill, rather than allowing them to be entirely shaped by international narratives."　

For mainland observers, the latest cross-Strait interaction indicates that reunification has become an irreversible historical trend, given the Chinese mainland's growing economic scale, technological capacity and military modernization. The visit also provides an opportunity to showcase potential benefits for Taiwan in the context of unification.　

On April 15, Chen Binhua reiterated in a press conference that, after peaceful reunification, people in Taiwan can enjoy improved social welfare, as the region will no longer need to use fiscal revenues for defense expenditures and can instead direct them toward improving livelihoods.　

"Xi's remarks show that the Chinese mainland continues to adopt a proactive and engaged approach toward Taiwan policy," Liu Xiangping, director of the Taiwan Research Institute at Nanjing University, told NewsChina. He urged more people in Taiwan to recognize that Taiwan's future is tied to the strength of the mainland, and that their well-being is tied to the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

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