Taiwan Opposition leader says China visit to sow 'seeds of peace'
The Hindu
Taiwan's opposition leader visits China to promote peace, sparking debate over pro-Beijing sentiments amid heightened cross-strait tensions.
Taiwan's Opposition leader, a proponent of closer ties with Beijing, said on Wednesday (April 8, 2026) she hoped to sow the "seeds of peace" during a rare visit to China.
Kuomintang (KMT) chairwoman Cheng Li-wun is the party's first leader to visit China in a decade, but her trip — during which she hopes to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping — has sparked debate in Taiwan.
Critics, including those within her own party which traditionally supports relations with China, have accused her of being too pro-Beijing.
China claims self-ruled Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to seize it.
"I hope that today we plant the seeds of peace not only for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait, but for all humankind," Ms. Cheng said on Wednesday (April 8), in comments broadcast by Taiwanese media.
She spoke during a symbolic visit to the eastern city of Nanjing, where she visited the mausoleum of revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen, one of the few Chinese historical figures revered in both Beijing and Taipei.
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