Taiwan Opposition envoy calls for peace in China visit amid rising military tensions

TAIWAN’S opposition leader Cheng Li-wun has urged restraint and dialogue during a visit to China, warning against escalating militarisation even as Beijing continues daily military activities around the island.

Reuters on Thursday, cited Cheng, chairwoman of Taiwan’s largest opposition party, the Kuomintang, is in China on what she has described as a “peace” mission aimed at easing cross-strait tensions.

Her visit comes at a time of heightened strain, with Beijing maintaining pressure on Taiwan and refusing to engage with President Lai Ching-te, whom it labels a separatist.

Speaking to reporters at Shanghai’s Yangshan Port, Cheng invoked imagery of peace and coexistence, drawing on both historical and literary references.

“These words are spoken with such humility, and they are entirely right. What should fly in the sky are birds, not missiles. What should swim in the water are fish, not warships,” she said, referencing ancient Norse descriptions of the sea.

She also quoted from John McCrae’s First World War poem In Flanders Fields, saying: “If ye break faith with us who die, We shall not sleep”.

“We may not have been able to give our ancestors peace, but we can certainly still give peace to the people of today and the people of the future,” she added.

Cheng is expected to travel to Beijing later on Thursday, where a potential meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping may take place.

Her visit has drawn criticism from Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which has urged her to press Beijing to halt its military threats and instead engage with Taiwan’s democratically elected government.

According to Taiwan’s defence ministry, six Chinese military aircraft and eight warships were detected operating around the island within a 24-hour period, underscoring continued tensions despite Cheng’s diplomatic outreach.

“The facts prove that the Chinese communists' military threat against Taiwan is intensifying,” said Michelle Lin, a lawmaker from the ruling party.

“Cheng Li-wun has been on her trip for two days, and the Chinese communists still have a knife at Taiwan's throat.”

President Lai has repeatedly called for dialogue with Beijing, rejecting its sovereignty claims and maintaining that Taiwan’s future should be determined solely by its people. - April 9, 2026