Cheng Li-wun’s Emotional China Trip Sparks Outrage in Taiwan: ‘Surrender to Xi’ or Bridge for Peace?

Taiwan's opposition party Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨) Chair Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) has launched her first mainland China visit in a decade, billing the trip a "peace journey" — but the delegation's rhetoric has drawn sharp criticism from scholars, opposition politicians, and international analysts almost immediately after departure.

The April 7, 2026 visit marks the first time a KMT party leader has traveled to mainland China in ten years. Cheng leads a 13-member delegation that includes three deputy chairpersons and Su Chi (蘇起), a former National Security Council secretary-general.

At the center of the controversy: an 18-minute speech at Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum in Nanjing in which Cheng explicitly and angrily called out Japan by name eleven times. Critics characterized the remarks as an 'ally with China against Japan' posture, and analysts accused her of aligning with Beijing's strategic messaging in ways that undermine Taiwan's international security partnerships.

Cheng officially began her mainland visit on April 7, 2026, the first trip by a KMT party leader to the mainland in ten years. She has described the delegation's purpose as seeking cross-strait reconciliation and positioned the KMT as a stabilizing buffer in managing Taiwan Strait tensions.

Upon arriving in Nanjing, Cheng met with Song Tao (宋濤), Director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, at a formal dinner. Cheng reaffirmed that the "1992 Consensus and opposition to Taiwan independence" remain the political foundation for cross-strait engagement, describing the framework as retaining strong vitality.

Song conveyed Beijing's position that the CCP is willing to work with the KMT to safeguard cross-strait peace and the well-being of compatriots on both sides, on the basis of their shared political foundation.

On the morning of April 8, Cheng visited Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum in Nanjing. KMT spokesperson Chiang Yi-chen read a memorial address using the Republic of China calendar, referencing the restoration of China and the founding of the Republic. Cheng then delivered an 18-minute public speech, describing Sun Yat-sen as "the teacher of Taiwan's national liberation" and attributing the current historical divide between the two sides of the strait to the First Sino-Japanese War 130 years ago.

Notably, Cheng invoked Japan eleven times, revisiting Japan's suppression of Taiwan during the colonial era. Speaking with visible emotion, she argued that the wounds inflicted by Japanese imperialism have, to this day, left deep scars that prevent reconciliation between the two sides — and she strongly condemned Japan's wars of aggression.

Lee Shih-hui (李世暉), Director of the Shinzo Abe Research Center at National Chengchi University, told the BBC that the intensity of Cheng's criticism of a third country is highly unusual and breaks sharply with the KMT's traditional strategic posture of maintaining friendly ties with Japan. Lee argued that, objectively, Cheng's remarks help Beijing sever the strategic linkage expressed in the formula "a Taiwan contingency is a Japan contingency," and suggested the anti-Japan rhetoric may have served as a loyalty-signaling gesture — a form of tribute — intended to secure a meeting with Xi Jinping (習近平).

Wang Hung-jen (王宏仁), a professor at National Cheng Kung University, told the Central News Agency that Cheng's speech appears to reflect prior coordination with the mainland, with its narrative logic closely mirroring that of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Wang noted that Cheng's anti-colonialism framing largely conforms to Beijing's official discourse surrounding the history of the War of Resistance Against Japan, which has been prominently promoted over the past year.

Taipei City Councilor Miao Po-ya (苗博雅) traced Cheng's political trajectory on a political talk show, noting that Cheng was once a member of the Wild Lily student movement that advocated for Taiwan's democracy and independence, and had worked at a magazine founded by Cheng Nan-jung (鄭南榕).

Miao contrasted that earlier identity with Cheng's current image — described by some as the "Goddess of Unification" — remarking with a sigh that such political transformations are truly beyond anyone's prediction. KMT Councilor Lu Chia-kai (呂家愷) offered a different interpretation, calling Cheng's evolution an inspiring story of someone who, upon maturing, gained a deeper sense of conviction and chose to join the pan-blue camp.

American journalist Chris Horton, writing in Nikkei Asia, argued that the visit signals a renewed "united front" between the KMT and the CCP against Taiwan's sovereignty. Horton contended that despite frequent cross-party engagement, Beijing has never relaxed its position on annexing Taiwan, and that Xi benefits from working with the KMT because such interactions helpcreate a false impression of weak Taiwanese defense resolve — potentially undermining international support for Taiwan's self-determination.

Liao Ta-chi (廖達琪), Executive Director of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, expressed serious concern about the visit's effectiveness on a radio program, citing the international principle that one should "never negotiate from a position of weakness." Liao noted that Cheng has not yet fully consolidated her authority within the KMT and that no elected legislators are accompanying the delegation. Under these conditions of structural power asymmetry, she argued, Cheng is unlikely to bring back substantive gains and may instead face pressure to make concessions on sensitive issues such as arms procurement.

During Cheng's meeting with Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Ji-ning (陳吉寧),Chen stated directly to Cheng's face that 'compatriots on both sides of the strait are all Chinese people' and emphasized that pursuing national unification is the overarching direction for managing cross-strait relations.

Chen argued that this bond — blood being thicker than water — gives both sides the confidence and resolve to jointly safeguard the Chinese nation's homeland.

Veteran journalist Chou Yu-kou (周玉蔻) issued sharp criticism of the visit, characterizing Cheng's emotional display and speech at the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum as an act of submission to Xi Jinping. Chou further argued that Cheng's remarks attempted to rhetorically erase the democratic identity the Republic of China has developed since 1949. She described the event as more closely resembling a "memorial service for the KMT's own demise" and called on Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) to speak out rather than remain silent.

Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) analyzed that Cheng's repeated references to the 2005 Lien-Hu summit indicate a strong desire to achieve a comparable historical legacy to that of former KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰). Lin warned that Cheng may be seeking to replicate Lien's model by bypassing the government level to issue political statements directly with the CCP — an approach he characterized as confining cross-strait relations to a party-to-party framework and as selling out Taiwan's sovereignty and future.

Media commentator Chen Tung-hao (陳東豪) revealed on a political talk show that pro-KMT figures in business circles have privately predicted that the KMT's 2028 presidential candidate may be Cheng rather than Taichung Mayor Lu Hsiu-yen (盧秀燕). Chen noted that Cheng's air of being 'destined by heaven' for greatness is striking, suggesting she may harbour presidential ambitions, and that her meeting with Xi Jinping is part of a broader effort to accumulate political capital.

Former Presidential Office Spokesperson Kolas Yotaka criticized Cheng on social media for deliberately and selectively invoking historical figures and events — including Chiang Wei-shui (蔣渭水) and the February 28 Incident — to legitimize her "peace narrative." Kolas emphasized that while historical interpretations differ, Taiwan should neither have been a Japanese colony nor become a Chinese colony.

Despite Cheng's framing of the trip as a peace journey, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense reported that People's Liberation Army aircraft, naval vessels, and official ships continued to operate in areas surrounding the Taiwan Strait throughout the delegation's visit. DPP Councilor Cho Kuan-ting (卓冠廷)  offered a biting remark: Cheng's tears at the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum had done absolutely nothing to deter the PLA's continued harassment of Taiwan.

An AI-produced promotional video released by the KMT for the trip, carrying the tagline "Only with peace can you lie down in peace," drew sharp criticism from veteran media commentator Chen Hui-wen (陳揮文). Chen called the video's logic "profoundly foolish," and it was widely mocked as signaling weakness toward Beijing. Critics sarcastically suggested the KMT's posture had deteriorated from "kneeling" to "lying flat."

Aurelio Insisa, a researcher at an Italian international affairs institution, analyzed the visit through the lens of information warfare, arguing that by hosting Cheng, Beijing is projecting to international audiences an image of deep internal division within Taiwan. Insisa noted that while this represents a short-term information warfare gain for China, it is unlikely to meaningfully shift mainstream Taiwanese public opinion or electoral outcomes, given that the current KMT leadership is predominantly composed of deep-blue figures.

Writer Wang Hao (汪浩) criticized Cheng for making no mention of the CCP's current military intimidation of Taiwan while inciting hostility toward Japan — a framing he argued is entirely disconnected from Taiwanese public consciousness. Wang he suggested that were Sun Yat-sen alive to witness Xi Jinping's authoritarian grip on power today, he would be so outraged he would die all over again, and that the KMT has effectively reduced itself to a supporting actor in Beijing's strategy to divide Taiwan.

Ko Chih-en (柯志恩), a KMT candidate for Kaohsiung mayor, responded to the controversy by stating she does not believe the visit will negatively affect electoral prospects, emphasizing that dialogue is a necessary step. DPP Councilor Chang Po-yang (張博洋) strongly disputed that assessment, accusing Ko of maintaining an ambiguous position on national security issues and refusing to directly address the risks the Cheng-Xi meeting poses to Taiwan's sovereignty.

President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) publicly reaffirmed that genuine peace cannot rely solely on goodwill from the other side of the strait and must be grounded in strengthened self-defense capabilities. Japanese media commentator Yaitaita Akio (矢板明夫) warned that the seamless coordination between Cheng and the CCP is designed to stage a false historical narrative of 'KMT-CCP unity' for the international community, and cautioned Taiwan's voters to remain alert to what he characterized as unprincipled opportunism.