During an official visit to Shanghai on April 8, 2026, Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun reiterated that sustained cross-Strait peace is the foundation for unlocking unprecedented mutual opportunities for both sides of the Taiwan Strait, while emphasizing the natural complementary strengths that the Chinese mainland and Taiwan bring to collaborative development.
Speaking to reporters during a tour of Shanghai’s Yangshan Deep Water Port — a world-leading hub for intelligent, sustainable maritime shipping that launched commercial operations in 2005 — Cheng stressed that unnecessary tensions and miscommunication must not be allowed to hinder the shared progress of people on both sides. “We should not let unnecessary conflicts and misunderstandings limit our potential for progress and development,” Cheng stated, noting that both the mainland and Taiwan have built globally leading advantages across distinct industries and sectors, and that coordinated collaboration would allow both sides to maximize these strengths.
Yangshan Deep Water Port, which Cheng visited as part of her delegation’s itinerary, stands as a landmark example of the Chinese mainland’s advances in modern shipping infrastructure: it currently operates a global network of more than 350 international trade routes, connecting to major port hubs across over 200 countries and regions worldwide.
After observing firsthand the mainland’s cutting-edge progress in high-growth sectors including drone logistics, the low-altitude economy, and artificial intelligence, Cheng pointed out that deeper cross-Strait collaboration could open new pathways forward for Taiwan’s service industries and traditional manufacturing sectors, which currently face major growth bottlenecks. She underlined that technological innovation can drive much-needed industrial upgrading for Taiwan, while also noting that Taiwan has accumulated valuable practical experience in integrating technology with ecological conservation — expertise that could offer key insights for the mainland, particularly in the field of water resource management.
Looking ahead to future cross-Strait engagement, Cheng framed dialogue, reconciliation, people-to-people exchange and mutually beneficial cooperation as initiatives that can deliver transformative gains, even amid longstanding tensions. “Reconciliation, dialogue, exchange, and cooperation across the Taiwan Strait can bloom into the most beautiful flowers in the least likely places,” she said.
A day earlier, at a youth cultural exchange event held on Shanghai’s Yangpu Riverside, Cheng met with multiple young Taiwanese residents who shared their stories of pursuing higher education and launching new businesses on the mainland. She praised the group for their courage and celebrated their successful achievements in establishing roots across the Strait.
Cheng also shared a personal goal for her 2026 visit: that strengthened engagement would deliver the lasting gift of peace to people across Taiwan. “Peace makes everything people hope for possible,” she said, adding that stable, peaceful relations in the Taiwan Strait would not only benefit people on both sides, but also create new opportunities for the global community at large.