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Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Sunday congratulated Cheng Li-wun on being elected chairperson of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, according to the Xinhua News Agency. 

Xinhua reported that Xi expressed his expectations for the two political parties to strengthen their common political foundation and unite the vast majority of people in Taiwan to deepen exchanges and cooperation, boost common development and advance national reunification.

He also called on both parties to firmly safeguard the shared home of the Chinese nation and the fundamental interests of people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, and to work together for a brighter future of the Chinese nation.

Xi said that over the years, the two parties - based on the common political foundation of upholding the 1992 Consensus and opposing "Taiwan independence" - have promoted cross-Straits exchanges and cooperation, worked to safeguard peace and stability across the Straits, and enhanced the affinity and well-being of people across the Straits, achieving positive results.

According to Xinhua, Cheng expressed gratitude in her reply to Xi's congratulations.

Echoing Xi's views, Cheng said that people across the Straits are members of the same Chinese nation and that the two political parties should strengthen exchanges and cooperation to promote peace and stability of the Straits and strive for the greatest benefits of people on both sides, Xinhua reported.

Proud to call themselves Chinese  

Taiwan's CNA, in an article "KMT seeks renewal and change: Cheng transforms traditional blue camp," reported that "riding the wave of generational change, she embodies a bold and assertive image that aligns with the expectations of the majority of the party's grassroots members, while also securing crucial support from the military-affiliated voter base, which proved key to her victory."

Cheng entered politics as a member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) but left in 2002, before joining the KMT in 2005, according to media reports.

Wang Jianmin, a research fellow at the Institute of Taiwan Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday that with the KMT having been in opposition for nine years, its members are yearning for winning the next elections of Taiwan regional leader. Cheng's outspoken style naturally aligns with these members' expectations.

After being elected KMT chairperson, Cheng made a speech on Saturday evening. Speaking about potential cooperation between the KMT and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), she stated that "the end of the election marks the beginning of unity." She emphasized her intent to unite not only the KMT but all opposition forces and the whole of Taiwan, local media outlet udn.com reported.

Cheng vowed on Saturday evening to make the KMT Taiwan region's leading political party under her leadership, achieve ruling party rotation in 2028 and accomplish the vital mission of fostering peaceful and mutually prosperous development across the Straits, udn.com reported. 

In a previous exclusive interview with the Global Times in June, Cheng criticized DPP authorities for using Taiwan regional security as a pretext to seek internal enemies. 

The rarely seen engagement among the public across the Straits on the KMT election followed Cheng's recent remarks on Chinese identity. Cheng vowed on October 8 to make every Taiwan person "proud to call themselves Chinese." 

During the Saturday evening speech, Cheng called on the DPP to cease using hatred and division, and to stop playing the "anti-mainland card" merely to manipulate elections and engage in internal political struggles, according to media report.

She reiterated that the KMT's future external relations will adhere to the three core commitments: never allowing Taiwan to become a trouble-maker, never allowing Taiwan to be reduced to a pawn in geopolitical games, and proactively assuming responsibility to make the KMT a peacemaker for regional stability.

Regarding Cheng's previous statements that Taiwan island should vigorously resume cross-Straits dialogue based on the 1992 Consensus, Zheng Jian, a professor at the Taiwan Research Institute of Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Sunday that the voices in Taiwan society calling for engagement, not "independence" or confrontation with mainland, are growing increasingly strong, Zheng said.

Challenges await

Despite winning the top KMT leadership post, Cheng faces multifaceted challenges. A major one will be to win mayoral and local elections in 2026, and regional leader and legislative elections in 2028, local media reported Saturday.

According to Wang, the KMT is also facing severe financial strain after the DPP authorities froze its assets. The ruling DPP, adopting an approach of suppression of opposition party, could launch systematic containment targeting Cheng.

"Ultimately, Cheng must simultaneously overcome institutional stagnation within the KMT while navigating cross-Straits relations and political pressure on the island," Wang said.

Chao Chun-Shan, professor emeritus of Tamkang University on the island, also a senior advisor to KMT, told the Global Times on Sunday during a cross-Straits relations academic seminar at Nanjing University that the island of Taiwan cannot always follow US' lead, but should consider its future from the perspective of its own interests and the overall interests of the Chinese nation. 

Both the KMT and Taiwan society anticipate Cheng developing distinctive approaches to achieve the party's "fundamental transformation and rebirth." "This precisely defines the significance of Cheng's election - representing both a challenge and an opportunity," Chao said.