One of Beijing's most powerful ideologues used a high-profile cultural gathering this week to project a notably conciliatory posture on Taiwan — just days before U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to travel to China for talks with senior Chinese leadership.
Wang Huning (王滬寧), a member of the Politburo Standing Committee and chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), met on the morning of May 11 with a Kuomintang (KMT) delegation at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The occasion was the Third Cross-Strait Chinese Cultural Summit, and Wang's remarks centered on shared heritage and civilizational continuity as the common ground between people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
Who Is Wang Huning — and Why His Words Carry Weight
Wang is one of the most influential figures in Chinese Communist Party (CCP) politics, widely credited with shaping ideological doctrine across three successive administrations. Having served as a senior political adviser to Jiang Zemin (江澤民), Hu Jintao (胡錦濤), and now Xi Jinping (習近平), he has earned the informal designation in Chinese political commentary as the party's "adviser to three emperors" — a figure of rare and durable influence who has outlasted the leaders he served.
That makes his public statements on cross-strait affairs particularly significant to analysts watching Beijing's signaling ahead of a potential Trump-Xi summit.
Wang Cites Xi's April Remarks as Guiding Framework
In his opening address, Wang invoked a speech Xi delivered on April 10, during which the CCP general secretary met with KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文). Wang described Xi's remarks as having "charted the course" for cross-strait relations, citing Xi's call for promoting spiritual alignment through correct identity, safeguarding a shared homeland through peaceful development, and advancing national rejuvenation through solidarity.
Wang framed the third summit as a concrete expression of Xi's vision, saying its theme — "connected bloodlines, shared culture" — reflected the shared belief that national territory, national unity, ethnic cohesion, and civilizational continuity "cannot be divided."
The Taiwan-side delegation attending the summit included KMT Vice Chairman Chang Jung-kung (張榮恭), Cross-Strait Business Summit Secretary-General Yin Chi-ming (尹啟銘), Chinese Cultural and Business Creative Association Honorary Chairman Hung Meng-chi (洪孟啟), former National Palace Museum Director Feng Ming-chu (馮明珠), and veteran film director Chu Yen-ping (朱延平).
KMT's Chang Calls for Reviving Bilateral Consultation
Speaking at the same meeting, Chang argued that the shared ethnic and cultural heritage of people on both sides of the Strait provides a realistic foundation for dialogue. Describing both peoples as "descendants of the same heritage and members of one family," he said this common identity should underpin practical efforts to act on what he characterized as Xi's guidance to Cheng to "talk things through and consult on issues."
Chang also offered a pointed framing of the legal dimension of cross-strait relations. He stated that the constitutional and legal structures of both sides define the relationship within a one-China framework — not as a relationship between two separate states — calling this "a very clear reality." He argued that reviving bilateral consultation mechanisms on that basis is the only path to building a genuine political foundation for engagement.
Historical Anniversaries Invoked as Emotional Common Ground
Chang further drew on a series of historical milestones to make the case for reconciliation. He noted that 2025 marks the 130th anniversary of Taiwan's armed resistance against Japanese rule following the 1895 Treaty of Shimonoseki, the 80th anniversary of China's victory in the Second Sino-Japanese War, and the 80th anniversary of Taiwan's retrocession.
Chang also highlighted that 2025 is the 20th anniversary of former Taiwan leader Lien Chan's (連戰) landmark "Journey of Peace" visit to Beijing, and the 10th anniversary of a high-level meeting between leaders from both sides of the Strait. He argued these shared historical memories could serve as an emotional foundation for improved relations — and a basis for moving forward. （Related： Opinion | Taiwan's Prosecutor General Vacancy: A Test for Judicial Independence Under Lai ｜ Latest ）
