Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, on Thursday warned against "needless contradictions and ambiguities" that could hinder Taiwan's progress, as she continued her visit to the mainland.
Cheng made the remarks when touring the sprawling, fully automated Yangshan Port in Shanghai, where she witnessed firsthand the achievements of the Chinese mainland's high-tech and industrial development.
She commended the mainland's industrial and technological advances as well as its low-carbon transformation.
"The service industry and traditional manufacturing sector of Taiwan are facing very serious bottlenecks. Opportunities for future development can be seen in how they transform, upgrade, and integrate with AI. Cross-strait reconciliation, dialogue, exchange, and cooperation can make the most beautiful flowers bloom even in the most unlikely places. Therefore, everyone's imagination, creativity, expertise, and enthusiasm are limitless. We shouldn't let needless contradictions and ambiguities limit the steps we could take and the development we could achieve," Cheng said.
Leading a KMT delegation, Cheng embarked her six-day visit to the mainland on Tuesday, marking the first time in a decade that a KMT chairperson has led a delegation to the mainland.
Shanghai was the second leg of Cheng's trip, after she and her delegation traveled to Nanjing, the provincial capital of Jiangsu in the east.
On delegation, the delegation visited the Shanghai headquarters of the food delivery giant Meituan, where they experienced drone-based delivery services that offered a glimpse into the mainland's rapidly developing smart economy.
On Thursday morning, Cheng and her delegation also toured the Shanghai Aircraft Design and Research Institute under the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd., manufacturer of domestically-developed aircraft including the C919 passenger jet.
The delegation departed Shanghai for Beijing on Thursday afternoon.
Needless contradictions should not limit Taiwan's potential: KMT chairwoman
Mourners rallied across Iran on Thursday to pay tribute to the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on February 28.
The events took place on the last day of a 40-day mourning period for Khamenei.
Holding portraits of their deceased leader and waving the national flags of the Islamic republic, Iranians took part in the rallies which lasted around 10 hours across the country, including the capital Tehran.
The rallies also came ahead of the planned high-level talks between Iran and the United States in the Pakistani capital Islamabad on Saturday.
Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said Iran will not negotiate its uranium enrichment program with anyone.
"Iran's nuclear industry is an indigenous industry, achieved through the efforts of Iranian researchers, and cannot be destroyed -- this is a widely acknowledged fact. Today, the Iranian people have demonstrated our strength to the world, and the Iranian armed forces have also demonstrated its power. Uranium enrichment is not a topic open for negotiations; it is a necessary component of the national development plan. We will not negotiate with anyone on this matter," Eslami told China Media Group (CMG) when taking part in the rally in Tehran.
Some Iranians expressed pessimism about the prospects for the Iran-U.S. negotiations, recalling how the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the landmark Iran nuclear deal in 2018 and how the U.S. and Israel have twice launched sudden attacks on Iran during negotiations over the past year.
"The enemy is cunning and treacherous; Iran must stay cautious and vigilant. Our government must not be deceived by the enemy. [The government] must stand firm in negotiations to avoid being misled. We have already gone through multiple negotiations, and all we have got is betrayal. I do not think the negotiations will be productive. I'm pessimistic about the prospects," said Reza, a resident.
"Given what's happening in Lebanon, all the things that have happened before, and the results of previous rounds of negotiations, frankly, I'm not optimistic. But I believe [the negotiations] are part of the process to end the war.," said Sajjad, another resident.
Ahead of this week's ceasefire, Israel and the United States had been conducting joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities since Feb 28, killing Supreme Leader Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded by launching waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. bases and assets in the Middle East.
Iranians hold rally in memory of slain supreme leader
