Japan’s ‘imperialist forces’ divided Taiwan from mainland, KMT’s Cheng Li-wun says
She said that after the 1911 revolution that overthrew the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), Taiwanese people were “filled with excitement”, with intellectuals hoping “a revitalised China would one day recover Taiwan and end Japanese colonial rule”.
Cheng added that China’s suffering over the past century had also been driven by internal conflicts.
“To this day, cross-strait divisions remain rooted in the wound created 130 years ago by the first Sino-Japanese war – a wound carved through the Taiwan Strait that has yet to heal,” she said.
“China’s suffering has not only stemmed from external imperialist forces, but also from internal divisions and conflicts that led to mutual destruction, with ordinary people bearing the brunt of the consequences.”
She was visibly emotional as she addressed a crowd at the adjacent Boai Square.
Her visit to the mainland comes amid a heated debate on the self-governed island over how Taiwan should understand its history and how Taipei should manage ties with Beijing while balancing relations with Washington.
In her speech, Cheng also highlighted mainland China’s transformation, saying its development had “exceeded all expectations”. At the same time, the KMT had built Taiwan into “a society defined by democracy, freedom, the rule of law and shared prosperity”.
She also invoked Communist Party leader Xi Jinping’s emphasis on environmental protection and tree planting, saying she hoped to “plant the seeds of peace” for people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and beyond.
It echoed a message sent a day earlier at a dinner in Nanjing hosted by Song Tao, head of Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO), where both sides stressed the importance of the “1992 consensus” and opposition to Taiwan independence.
The 1992 consensus refers to a verbal understanding reached in that year between the then-ruling KMT and Beijing that both sides agree there is “one China”, but have different interpretations.
Cheng told the banquet that her visit showed that political differences “do not inevitably lead to conflict” and that the two sides “are not destined for war”.
She said the KMT and the Communist Party had the “ability, determination and wisdom” to resolve issues peacefully, while reaffirming the 1992 consensus as a still-relevant foundation for engagement.
Taiwan should not become a “pawn” or even an “abandoned piece” in geopolitical competition, she said, arguing that the KMT was offering a choice between “war and peace” and between “destruction and prosperity”.
In his speech at the banquet, Song described the visit as “a major event” for both party-to-party ties and cross-strait relations, saying the two sides “share a common responsibility” towards the Chinese nation.
He reiterated Beijing’s position that the 1992 consensus was the cornerstone of peaceful cross-strait development, warning that abandoning the framework would lead to instability.
“The two sides have the ability and wisdom to handle their own affairs,” Song said, echoing Beijing’s long-standing position that cross-strait issues should be resolved without external interference.
He also criticised Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), accusing it of seeking independence with the backing of external forces.
Cheng’s visit has drawn criticism from Taipei.
Tsai Ming-yen, head of the island’s National Security Bureau, said Beijing continued to pursue a dual-track strategy of “pressuring through both peace and war”, combining “military intimidation and grey-zone tactics with cross-strait exchanges aimed at shaping public opinion”.
Separately, DPP legislative caucus head Chuang Jui-hsiung said Cheng’s repeated emphasis on the 1992 consensus was “deeply concerning”, arguing that accepting it amounted to an endorsement of the “one country, two systems” framework that Beijing had applied to Hong Kong and Macau.
He said most people in Taiwan did not believe the 1992 consensus would allow them to determine their own future, adding that the island’s destiny could not be decided by political parties or by Beijing.
Beijing defended the visit, with TAO spokeswoman Zhu Fenglian saying that “both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China” and cross-strait relations were a matter for “one family”.
She said Beijing was willing to work with political parties in Taiwan, including the KMT, on the basis of the 1992 consensus to promote peaceful development and improve people’s livelihoods.
Zhu dismissed criticism from the DPP as politically motivated, saying such attacks lacked public support. She added that Cheng’s visit aligned with what she described as mainstream opinion in Taiwan favouring exchanges and cooperation, and would help advance cross-strait ties.
Cheng’s six-day trip, which began on Tuesday in Shanghai, is expected to culminate in a meeting with Xi in Beijing later this week, although the mainland authorities have not formally confirmed this.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China, to be reunited by force if necessary. The United States, like most countries, does not recognise Taiwan as an independent state. However, it opposes any attempt to take the self-governed island by force and is committed to supplying it with defensive weapons.
Additional reporting by Alcott Wei