KMT chairwoman underscores importance of 1992 Consensus during mainland visit

China

KMT chairwoman underscores importance of 1992 Consensus during mainland visit

2026-04-07 22:57 Last Updated At：04-08 15:17

Chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, Cheng Li-wun, on Tuesday underlined the importance of adhering to the 1992 Consensus and opposition to the separatist forces in Taiwan in the cross-Strait relations.

Cheng made the remarks after she arrived in Nanjing City, east China's Jiangsu Province, via Shanghai with her delegation for a mainland visit that will run through Sunday.

Upon arrival in Nanjing, Cheng thanked Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and mainland authorities for their warm reception. She said the visit is of great significance for maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait and improving people's well-being.

"It once again proves that the political foundation of the '1992 Consensus' and the opposition to the separatist forces in Taiwan remains evergreen. Historical experience has fully demonstrated that as long as the '1992 Consensus' is adhered to and the separatist forces in Taiwan is opposed, exchanges and dialogues can be conducted across the Taiwan Strait," said Cheng.

Song Tao, head of the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee, welcomed Cheng and her delegation in Shanghai.

Song said he believes Cheng's trip would allow her to personally witness the mainland's tremendous developmental achievements under the leadership of Xi and the CPC, as well as the goodwill of the people in the mainland toward compatriots in Taiwan, which will garner high recognition and support from people on both sides of the Strait.

He added that the two parties should prioritize national interests and the well-being of people across the Strait, work together to promote peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, and jointly contribute to the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

At the invitation of CPC Central Committee and Xi Jinping, the delegation is scheduled to visit Jiangsu Province, Shanghai and Beijing, marking the first time in a decade that a KMT chairperson has led a delegation to the Chinese mainland.

Shenzhou-23 astronauts enter Tiangong space station, meet Shenzhou-21 crew

The three astronauts aboard China's Shenzhou-23 spaceship have entered the country's Tiangong space station and met with their astronaut colleagues early Monday morning, as they now begin an in-orbit crew handover.

Mission commander Zhu Yangzhu and fellow astronauts Zhang Zhiyuan and Lai Ka-ying successfully entered the station's core module Tianhe after the spaceship made a fast automated rendezvous and docked with the Tianhe module at 02:45 (Beijing Time) on Monday.

The three Shenzhou-21 crew members opened the hatch at 05:13 (Beijing Time) and greeted the new arrivals, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

The six astronauts then took group pictures for the eighth in-orbit get-together in China's aerospace history.

Notably, one of the Shenzhou-23 crew members is set to undertake a year-long stay aboard the space station, double the usual duration of previous Shenzhou missions.

The Shenzhou-23 spaceship, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 23:08 (Beijing Time) on Sunday.

Shenzhou-23 marks the 40th flight of China's manned spaceflight program and the seventh manned flight mission since the Tiangong space station entered its application and development phase in late 2022.