Cheng Li-wun, chairperson of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, held a press conference at 11 am. on Monday at Sun Yat-sen Hall at the Kuomintang's central headquarters to address her visit to the mainland. Photo: Screenshot from website

As the spring breeze of 2026 sweeps across the Taiwan Straits, long-frozen cross-Straits relations are showing signs of thawing, bringing a long-awaited touch of warmth.

Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) Chairperson Cheng Li-wun is leading a delegation to visit the Chinese mainland from Tuesday to Sunday. 

This marks the first high-level visit by a sitting KMT leader since 2016. And it comes 21 years after former chairman Lien Chan's historic "Journey of Peace" in 2005, according to media reports.

This visit sends a clear and powerful message to the world: as long as the 1992 Consensus and the one-China principle are upheld, the door to cross-Straits dialogue will remain wide open, cross-Straits cooperation will flourish, and the Chinese mainland's sincerity will stand firm. 

According to media reports, the itinerary is thoughtfully structured. It includes Nanjing, Jiangsu Province - a place that carries deep historical ties between the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the KMT, as well as emotional and cultural bonds across the Taiwan Straits. 

It then moves to Shanghai, one of the mainland's most dynamic economic hubs, where Taiwan visitors can witness the rapid pace of development firsthand and explore new business opportunities on the mainland. 

The journey concludes in Beijing, signaling high-level political dialogue. From history to economy to political dialogue, the itinerary reflects the Chinese mainland's comprehensive and pragmatic vision for cross-Straits relations.

Many Taiwan media have also welcomed the visit. The China Times called it a continuation of KMT-CPC engagement and a positive opportunity for peaceful development. 

Meanwhile, the Want Daily pointed out that the KMT is once again acting as a bridge for communication, showing the world that Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits possess the wisdom to resolve their own issues and do not need any external intervention.

In 2005, Lien's "Journey of Peace" broke the long-standing ice of high-level dialogue between the two parties since 1949. During the visit, the two parties reached consensus on the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, endorsing the 1992 Consensus while opposing "Taiwan independence."

Such development led to the opening of the "three direct links," which refer to direct mail, transport and trade links across the Taiwan Straits, mainland tourism to Taiwan, and closer economic cooperation. 

Cheng was a member of that delegation. Now, returning as KMT chairperson leading a new visit, she carries on this historical endeavor and is expected to bring fresh momentum to thawing cross-Straits relations.

Over the past decade under the DPP, from Tsai Ing-wen to Lai Ching-te, Taiwan regional authorities have refused to recognize the 1992 Consensus - the political foundation of cross-Straits relations - and unilaterally dismantled mutual trust between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits.

Official talks have stopped, direct flights have sharply declined, mainland tourists have dwindled, and Taiwan's agriculture, fisheries, and retail sectors are suffering. While the DPP authorities play political games, it is always ordinary Taiwan residents who pay the price. 

As global turmoil brings energy risks and economic pressure, more and more Taiwan residents now realize that the DPP cannot solve daily hardships or deliver the peace dividends that stable cross-Straits ties once brought. The public's desire for restored exchanges and steady development is growing stronger.

Cheng, who has consistently upheld the 1992 Consensus, opposed "Taiwan independence," and proudly declared "I am Chinese," represents this shift. 

One visit may not turn the tide today, but every step in the right direction paves the way.

As Cheng hopes, may this visit bring the Spring that cross-Straits relations have long awaited.