Story perspectives

Taiwan's KMT Chair Visits China Amid U.S. Tensions

2/2/2026

Center

Cheng Li-wun Visits China

Cheng Li-wun, chair of Taiwan's Kuomintang, will visit China before the United States to discuss talks with Xi Jinping.
She says Taiwan should not choose sides between the United States and China and calls China a relative.
DPP officials criticize her remarks as risky for Taiwan's security and misreading the CCP.
KMT Deputy Chair Hsiao Hsu-tsen will lead a delegation to Beijing for a think tank conference, despite DPP skepticism.

Left

KMT Delegation Engages Beijing

Kuomintang (KMT) Deputy Chairman Hsiao Hsu-tsen will lead a delegation to Beijing from February 1 to 3 for a think tank exchange with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The delegation includes National Policy Foundation Deputy Chairman Lee Hong-yuan and around 40 experts, focusing on tourism, industrial cooperation, and environmental sustainability.
Topics of discussion will include travel, precision machinery, and carbon reduction, with plans for a dinner with Song Tao, director of China's Taiwan Affairs Office.
Participation in a think tank forum is scheduled, but a meeting with Wang Huning, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, remains uncertain.

History

Historical Context

The Kuomintang (KMT) party, which retreated to Taiwan after losing the Chinese Civil War in 1949, has historically sought to maintain its claim as the legitimate government of China. In 2005, the KMT engaged in dialogue with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to ease tensions, reflecting its ongoing strategy to balance relations with both China and the U.S., amid criticism from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

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Cheng Li-wun Visits China

Cheng Li-wun, chair of Taiwan's Kuomintang, will visit China before the United States to discuss talks with Xi Jinping.
She says Taiwan should not choose sides between the United States and China and calls China a relative.
DPP officials criticize her remarks as risky for Taiwan's security and misreading the CCP.
KMT Deputy Chair Hsiao Hsu-tsen will lead a delegation to Beijing for a think tank conference, despite DPP skepticism.

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