Beijing: Taiwan's main opposition party Kuomintang's chairwoman, Cheng Li-wun, arrived in China on Tuesday, marking the first visit by a KMT leader in a decade. The visit is highlighted by an anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, as reported by state-run news agency Xinhua.

According to Anadolu Agency, Cheng's delegation is scheduled to travel through Jiangsu province, Shanghai, and finally Beijing during the visit, which will continue through Sunday. This visit is considered a crucial step in fostering dialogue and exchanges between the Kuomintang (KMT) and China's Communist Party under the current geopolitical circumstances.

Cheng is expected to meet with President Xi at the conclusion of her visit, reflecting a significant diplomatic engagement since the last meeting between a KMT chief and Xi in 2015, when then-chairman Eric Chu visited China. The State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson emphasized that enhanced dialogue between the two parties could positively impact peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and support the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations.

The visit to China comes at the invitation of President Xi. Cheng had expressed prior to the trip that her visit would demonstrate that Taiwan and China "are not destined for war." She stressed that any efforts to improve cross-strait relations must adhere to the "1992 Consensus" and a stance against "Taiwan independence."

The "1992 Consensus" refers to a historical meeting on cross-strait relations, resulting in an implicit understanding of "one China," with each side having its interpretation. Cheng assumed her role as the KMT chairwoman in October 2025.

In a related context, Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te announced an eight-year special defense budget of $40 billion in November, which Beijing condemned. The tension stems from China's view of Taiwan as a 'breakaway province,' while Taipei has maintained its independent status since 1949.