KMT Chairwoman says in speech at business club that only the KMT can lead Taiwan down the right path

KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wen (鄭麗文) delivered a speech at the Third Wednesday Association this Wednesday on Taiwan’s choices amid an increasingly volatile international situation. She also reiterated that Taiwan should engage in dialogue with the mainland based on the 1992 Consensus, stating that only the KMT has what it takes to lead Taiwan down the right path.

The Third Wednesday Association, whose members are mainly executives from major domestic companies and business leaders, invited the chairwoman to attend and speak at their meeting this month. 

Cheng said Taiwan is at a critical juncture in its history and should find a strategically important position from which it can exert influence, such as by seeking a role as an intermediary amid U.S.-China competition. She said this was also the purpose of her successive visits to China and the United States since taking office; during her communications in the United States, she said she emphasized that cross-strait dialogue is clearly in the interests of the U.S. and other countries.  

The chairwoman explained that, amid competition between the U.S. and China, Taiwan could potentially play various roles, including serving as a platform for dialogue, a buffer, or a facilitator. However, she said that these ideas could only come to fruition if the KMT wins not only the local elections at the end of this year but also the 2028 presidential election.

According to Cheng, the key to resolving cross-strait issues is engaging in dialogue with the CCP based on the 1992 Consensus, the outcome of which is still hotly debated by the DPP. The KMT understanding of the consensus is “one China, different interpretations,” while the PRC’s position is that there is only one China and they do not formally acknowledge the “differing interpretations.” It is on the basis of this consensus that Cheng insisted only the KMT has what it takes to lead Taiwan down the right path.