Ahead of her upcoming visit to the United States, Kuomintang (KMT) Chair Cheng Li-wun held a press conference for domestic and international media this afternoon (June 1) to outline the objectives of the trip. 

Chair Cheng stated that she hopes the visit will deepen efforts and aspirations for cross-Strait peace and regional stability, endeavors that require the support of the international community, particularly the United States. She noted that U.S. President Donald Trump has clearly expressed opposition to Taiwan moving toward independence and does not wish to see the United States drawn into a war that could be avoided. Such a position helps reduce the possibility of military conflict across the Taiwan Strait and is consistent with the KMT’s long-standing stance.

 

Chair Cheng is scheduled to depart late tonight on China Airlines Flight CI04 to San Francisco, beginning a two-week visit to the United States. Earlier this afternoon, she was joined by Director of International Affairs Chia-yu Tung and Overseas Affairs Director Wennie Wu in briefing the media on the delegation’s itinerary.

 

Chair Cheng explained that upon arriving in San Francisco, the delegation will visit leading local enterprises and participate in discussions with scholars at the Hoover Institution. The delegation will then travel to Boston to meet with scholars from Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as well as engage in discussions with students. The next stop will be New York, where the delegation will meet overseas Taiwanese communities and representatives from major think tanks. Following New York, the delegation will travel to Washington, D.C., to meet members of Congress, officials from the executive branch, and scholars at prominent policy institutes. The final stop will be Los Angeles, where Chair Cheng will meet with overseas Taiwanese before returning to Taiwan. The entire trip will span approximately fifteen days.

 

Regarding the delegation, Chair Cheng noted that, in addition to the directors of the International Affairs and Overseas Affairs Departments, the KMT’s representatives in the United States, Ambassador Victor Chin and Ambassador Jason Yuan, will provide support. Most meetings and arrangements for the trip have been coordinated through the KMT’s representative office in Washington, D.C., with substantial assistance from Ambassador Yuan.

 

Chair Cheng explained that the purpose of the visit should be understood in the broader context of recent developments. She noted that the KMT’s “Peace Visit” to mainland China in April, including her meeting with Xi Jinping, as well as the May meeting between President Trump and General Secretary Xi in Beijing, attracted significant international attention and reflected a trend toward greater peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Given the rapid deterioration of cross-Strait relations in recent years and the concerns this has generated internationally, Taiwan must make clear to the world that its people strongly desire peace and do not wish to become “the next Ukraine.” She stated that her April meeting with Xi sought to open a path toward peace at a time of heightened tensions and to demonstrate that peace is a shared aspiration on both sides of the Strait while removing unnecessary factors that contribute to confrontation.

 

Chair Cheng stated that she welcomes a transition in U.S.-China relations from confrontation toward cooperation and peaceful engagement. Cooperation and reconciliation between the United States and mainland China, together with commitments to regional peace and stability, serve not only the interests of Taiwan but also those of the international community. She expressed hope that risks of cross-Strait conflict can be effectively managed and that the path toward peace can continue in a stable and sustainable manner. She emphasized that one of the key goals of her U.S. visit is to deepen support for this vision.

 

Chair Cheng stressed that the Constitution of the Republic of China remains the KMT’s highest political conviction and foundational principle. She argued that the Constitution made possible Taiwan’s democratic, free, prosperous, and law-based society, a major achievement that represents both a significant accomplishment of the Chinese nation and the way of life that Taiwan’s 23 million people seek to protect. On this constitutional foundation, she said, a viable framework exists for peaceful cross-Strait development that safeguards Taiwan’s political system and way of life while creating opportunities for peace. For this reason, she described the Constitution as both Taiwan’s most important safeguard and the core value of the KMT.

 

She further argued that U.S. policy toward Taiwan since the establishment of diplomatic relations with Beijing has remained consistent with the “One China” policy and opposition to Taiwan independence. According to Cheng, this common constitutional and political foundation helps protect Taiwan’s democratic system and way of life while supporting peaceful and stable cross-Strait relations and broader regional stability.

 

Chair Cheng stated that such progress depends on deeper mutual trust with the United States and on America’s continued leadership in promoting peace and stability throughout the region. She called for moving beyond Cold War-era thinking and toward a future characterized by mutual benefit, peace, and prosperity. She also advocated transforming the concept of the “First Island Chain” into a “Chain of Peace and Prosperity,” a vision that would require support from both the United States and mainland China, particularly strong American leadership.

 

She emphasized that she hopes American friends will not be influenced by what she described as years of misinformation and mischaracterizations by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) regarding the KMT. She argued that from World War II to the present day, the KMT has been the most reliable and responsible political force in maintaining cross-Strait peace and preventing the United States from being drawn into an avoidable conflict that could damage American national interests. At the same time, she said, the KMT remains committed to defending the democratic freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of China.

 

Chair Cheng noted that before the 1992 Consensus was reached, the KMT government secured Taiwan’s first purchase of F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States. She observed that only two months after President George H. W. Bush announced the sale of 150 F-16s to Taiwan, both sides of the Strait reached the historic 1992 Consensus, which subsequently provided the political basis for negotiations and led to the landmark Koo–Wang Talks in April 1993.

 

Chair Cheng stated that Taiwan does not need to choose between the United States and mainland China. She argued that Taiwan’s defense resilience must be comprehensive rather than dependent on any single factor. She described the KMT as a long-standing supporter of Taiwan’s national defense and contrasted this with what she characterized as unfulfilled promises by the DPP.

 

She further emphasized that the KMT firmly supports reasonable and effective investment in Taiwan’s asymmetric defense capabilities and the strategic use of Taiwan’s strengths in artificial intelligence and advanced systems integration. However, she stressed that Taiwan’s resilience depends not only on military hardware but also on strong democratic institutions, a professional civil service, police and emergency personnel, public servants, educators, and military personnel, as well as Taiwan’s indispensable role in global high-tech supply chains. Together, she argued, these elements form the foundation of Taiwan’s overall defense resilience and contribution to regional stability.

 

More importantly, Chair Cheng stated that Taiwan should actively pursue dialogue, communication, reconciliation, and exchanges with mainland China to normalize cross-Strait relations and comprehensively advance peace and stability. Eliminating the possibility of military conflict and war, she said, requires a complete and integrated strategy in which no element can be omitted.

 

She asserted that only the KMT is capable of fulfilling this responsibility. According to Cheng, the KMT is uniquely positioned to preserve peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait while continuing to strengthen and defend Taiwan’s democratic, free, prosperous, and law-based system. She said these messages would be conveyed to American friends, government officials, political leaders from both parties, scholars, experts, and think tanks throughout the trip. She hopes the United States will gain a clearer understanding of the KMT’s strategic role and assume an even more significant leadership position in maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait while promoting regional technological integration and development.

 

Chair Cheng concluded by expressing hope that, through engagement with American partners, important messages can be communicated effectively and that all stakeholders—including the United States, mainland China, Taiwan, and the broader East Asian region—can work toward common goals. She argued that Taiwan should no longer be viewed as a source of instability, a pawn in geopolitical competition, or a casualty of great-power rivalry. Instead, Taiwan can play a proactive role with greater agency and influence. “We can earn goodwill and sincerity from Beijing while also gaining deeper trust from the United States and thereby play a more critical role,” she said.

 

Chair Cheng emphasized that the KMT’s position has remained consistent. Its goals, she said, serve not only the interests of Taiwan’s 23 million people but also those of regional countries and the United States, while reflecting aspirations shared by people around the world. As technological innovation continues to accelerate, she argued, integration, complementarity, and cooperation among leading technology powers are essential. Given their central roles in technological innovation and advanced manufacturing, the United States, mainland China, and Taiwan cannot be excluded from shaping the future. Together, she concluded, they should open a new chapter of peace rather than move toward the tragedy of war.