Full text: Cheng Li-wun’s speech at Nanjing welcome banquet

KMT chair begins "historic journey for peace" that carries "four major historical significances".

Cheng Li-wun, chair of Taiwan’s opposition Kuomintang (KMT), arrived in the Chinese mainland on Tuesday, leading a party delegation after accepting an invitation from Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, in the first visit by a sitting KMT chair to the mainland in a decade.

Cheng delivered the remarks below at a welcome banquet in Nanjing, the former capital of the Republic of China under KMT rule before the KMT-led government retreated to Taiwan in 1949, and also the site of the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum. Sun, who founded the Republic of China and the KMT, remains a revered historical figure in both the mainland and Taiwan.

The banquet was hosted by the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee. Among those in attendance was Song Tao, head of the Taiwan Work Office, who also welcomed Cheng upon her arrival in Shanghai earlier in the day.

The English translation below is based on an Ifeng News transcript of Zheng’s speech at the Nanjing banquet. Ifeng News also published video coverage of the event, attached below.

郑丽文在南京欢迎晚宴上致辞全文：此访具有4项重大历史意义

Full text of Cheng Li-wun’s remarks at Nanjing welcome banquet: visit bears four major historical significances

Director Song Tao, good friends from the Taiwan Work Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), members of our delegation, good evening to you all.

First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Director Song Tao for the thoughtful and meticulous arrangements made for this visit, as well as for the warm reception extended to our party delegation. Please also allow me to convey my sincere greetings and heartfelt thanks to Director Song. To our friends from the Taiwan Affairs Office and to all members of the delegation present here, it is a great pleasure to gather together at this historic moment. I believe this visit carries four major historical significances.

First, in terms of the situation in the Asia-Pacific, we are creating a new model—one that shows the world that political differences do not inevitably lead to conflict. The two sides of the Taiwan Strait are not destined, as some in the international community worry, for war. Together, we will demonstrate that both sides have the capability, the determination, and the wisdom to resolve all issues peacefully, and to contribute to regional security and stability. We will not be troublemakers; rather, we will be builders of peace in the region. In today’s turbulent global environment, the significance of this journey for peace is all the more profound.

Second, in terms of cross-Strait relations, this visit once again demonstrates that the “1992 Consensus” and opposition to “Taiwan independence” remain a durable political foundation—a stabilising anchor for current cross-Strait relations. Over the past three decades, Taiwan’s society has undergone several changes in governing parties. Yet historical experience clearly shows that as long as the “1992 Consensus” is upheld and “Taiwan independence” is opposed, dialogue and exchanges across the Strait can proceed; otherwise, tensions and instability will prevail. Therefore, this visit will help further tilt cross-Strait relations toward peace and stability.

Third, regarding KMT-CPC relations, this marks the first visit in ten years led by the incumbent KMT chair to the mainland. Once again, the KMT is playing a key role in maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The cross-Strait peace approach advocated by our party is a correct and effective path, and one that best serves the interests of all people in Taiwan. Twenty-one years ago, I had the honour of accompanying Chairman Lien Chan on his journey of peace to the mainland, during which the two parties reached five shared visions. That historic visit ushered in what became a golden era of peaceful cross-Strait development during the KMT’s eight years in power. For the mainstream public opinion in Taiwan that cherishes cross-Strait peace and hopes for continued exchanges between the two sides, this visit is of great significance in opening a new chapter once again.

Finally, in the context of Taiwan’s history, this visit highlights that Taiwan should not be reduced to a pawn—or worse, an expendable one—in geopolitical competition. Between war and peace, between destruction and prosperity, the KMT offers the people of Taiwan a valuable choice for peace and prosperity. Even though the KMT is currently in opposition in Taiwan, we cannot and must not evade our responsibility for guiding Taiwan toward peace and prosperity.

In closing, with deep gratitude, I thank everyone for taking part in this historic journey for peace. Let me also raise this glass to wish that the coming days of our visit will be a complete success, serving the shared interests of people on both sides of the Strait, as well as the expectations of the international community.

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