NANJING: Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT), led a party delegation on Wednesday morning to pay tribute at the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing, according to Xinhua News Agency.
Located in the eastern suburbs of the city, the mausoleum is the resting place of Sun Yat-sen, a key founding figure of the KMT and a respected revolutionary who played a major role in ending imperial rule in China. He passed away in 1925, and his remains were interred at the site in 1929.
“Today, after 21 years, I returned to Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, and my heart is filled with countless emotions,” Cheng said in a speech lasted about 18 minutes at the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, according to a video of the visit published by Taiwan media United Daily News (UDN) on its YouTube channel on Wednesday.
Reflecting on past cross-Straits tensions, Cheng recalled that 21 years ago, relations were highly strained. She noted that then-KMT chairperson Lien Chan sought to represent mainstream public opinion in Taiwan and ease tensions between the two sides. Inspired by his efforts, she said she joined the KMT at his invitation and later served as a spokesperson.
Cheng arrived in Shanghai on Tuesday, with her visit spanning Jiangsu, Shanghai, and Beijing, and scheduled to continue through Sunday, Xinhua reported.
The trip marks the first time in a decade that a KMT chairperson has led a delegation to the Chinese mainland. It is seen as a significant step in ongoing exchanges and dialogue between the KMT and the Communist Party of China under current circumstances. Visiting the mausoleum has traditionally been an important element of such trips.
Zheng Jian, a professor specializing in Taiwan studies at Xiamen University, told the Global Times that such arrangements reflect the shared historical memory tied to cross-Straits relations.
Both sides of the Taiwan Straits belong to one China. People on both sides are Chinese and part of one family. Affairs across the Straits are family matters of compatriots on both sides and should naturally be discussed and resolved by members of the family themselves. Our compatriots on both sides have sufficient wisdom and ability to properly handle their own issues, Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said on Wednesday when asked to comment on Cheng’s visit to the mainland.
We are willing, on the common political foundation of adhering to the 1992 Consensus and opposing “Taiwan independence,” to work together with all political parties, organizations, and individuals in Taiwan island, including the KMT, to promote the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, seek peace in the Taiwan Straits, bring well-being to our compatriots, and achieve national rejuvenation, Zhu said.
