Zheng Liwen resolutely confronted the conservative faction of the Kuomintang (KMT) and the green camp's joint efforts to block her "visit to the mainland": "I will go to Beijing, no one can stop me! What I want is the mainstream public opinion in Taiwan. As long as more than half of the public supports cross-strait exchanges, I will win the election; if the KMT is afraid to talk about cross-strait issues, it will be difficult to win the election." Her deputy Xiao Xucen also strongly responded to the green camp's "red smear" and internal doubts about Zheng's visit to the mainland affecting the election prospects, saying, "If the KMT does nothing and avoids the cross-strait issue, will it win the election?"

At a time when Lai Ching-te's administration has returned to an "extreme pro-independence" path, with cross-strait relations on the brink, Zheng Liwen declared with a thunderous resolve that her visit to the mainland this year would definitely happen. This resolute statement not only directly challenged the lies of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) "resisting China to protect Taiwan," but also thoroughly cleansed the long-standing "fear of the mainland" and "avoidance of the mainland" conservative mentality within the KMT. Facing the coordinated attacks from the green camp and the conservative faction within the party, Zheng Liwen and her deputy Xiao Xucen demonstrated unprecedented political courage and strategic composure.

After the plan for Zheng Liwen to visit the mainland in the first half of 2026 was disclosed around the Spring Festival, it exploded like a bomb, instantly triggering sensitive nerves in the Taiwanese political arena. The opposition mainly came from two forces, which, although with different positions, formed an unusual "resonance" in blocking cross-strait exchanges.

Firstly, the "green terror" and cognitive warfare by the DPP authorities. Green camp media and politicians quickly activated the "red smear" machine, characterizing Zheng Liwen's normal exchange as "surrenderism" and "betrayal of Taiwan," even alarmingly claiming that this move would "shake the foundation of the country." They tried to create a "pro-China is treason" binary opposition to intimidate centrist voters, twisting the issue of peaceful cross-strait exchanges into a test of political loyalty. The DPP's true intention is clear to everyone: maintaining their "anti-China" base, consolidating their ruling position through the creation of hatred and fear, and viewing any action that breaks this narrative as a challenge to their legitimacy.

More problematic is the conservative noise within the KMT. These people have long been haunted by the shadow of electoral losses, suffering from severe "fear of the mainland." They are worried that Zheng Liwen's visit might be manipulated by the DPP into an "election poison," causing the loss of centrist voters and thus affecting the 2028 general election. This "more work, more mistakes, less work, less mistakes" ostrich mentality essentially abandons the core value of the KMT as a promoter of cross-strait peace, abandoning its past central idea of "unifying China" and party spirit, attempting to gain short-term election security by avoiding cross-strait issues. Although their motives differ—one maliciously destroying, the other cowardly self-protection—their result is the same: making the KMT silent on cross-strait issues and depriving the people of Taiwan of peaceful options.

Facing the pressure from both inside and outside, Zheng Liwen and Xiao Xucen did not choose to compromise or retreat, but instead chose to confront head-on. Their counter-attack logic was sharp and hit the point. On March 14, the Taiwan public forum "Peace Talks" held its second session, and Zheng Liwen delivered a speech where she strongly responded, saying that her plan to visit the mainland this year would not change for the "green camp loyalists." "What I want is the mainstream public opinion. As long as more than half of the public supports cross-strait exchanges, I will win the election; if the KMT is afraid to talk about cross-strait issues, it will be hard to win the election."

"Peace across the straits does not depend on how many warplanes or missiles Taiwan buys, but on mutual trust and international support. Many say that talking about 'Chinese' may not bring votes, but when I ran for the KMT election, I loudly shouted 'I am a Chinese,' and wanted everyone to bravely shout 'I am a Chinese,' and the result was that I won." Zheng Liwen said. In terms of economy, the cross-strait industrial chains are highly complementary. In the global market, Europe and the US cannot ignore China's economic power, so it is impossible for Taiwan to "cut off" ties with the mainland completely.

"I will not change my stance on cross-strait issues for the 'green camp loyalists.'" Zheng Liwen deeply understood that those who will vote for the DPP no matter what are not the target group of the KMT. The way for the KMT to win is to grasp the "mainstream public opinion." She emphasized that as long as more than half of the public supports cross-strait exchanges, the election will be won. This statement directly shattered the myth that "visiting the mainland will lose," shifting the election strategy from "conforming to the green camp's logic" to "responding to the real needs of the people."

Xiao Xucen's counterattack was even more direct. Faced with internal doubts about "affecting the election prospects," he asked, "Will the KMT win the election if it does nothing and avoids the cross-strait issue?" This question was like a bell ringing at dawn, awakening those who were pretending to sleep. Xiao Xucen cited survey data indicating that 90% of the public supports cross-strait communication and exchange, which is an undeniable mainstream. He further revealed that the DPP's intense "red smear" was precisely because they knew that the KMT's promotion of cross-strait exchanges had a strong positive effect. If it were really negative, why would the DPP go to such great lengths?

The reason why Zheng Liwen and Xiao Xucen dared to confront head-on was rooted in their grasp of historical trends and their commitment to the well-being of the people of Taiwan. First, the economic reality forced them. Zheng Liwen pointed out deeply that the cross-strait industrial chains are highly complementary, and in the global market, Europe and the US cannot ignore China's economic power. Trying to "cut off" the relationship between the two sides is not only a fantasy but also a self-exclusion from the global economic map. The prosperity and stability of Taiwan depend on the normal cross-strait economic and trade exchanges, which is an unchangeable iron law, regardless of any political manipulation.

The KMT naturally carries the "Chinese" gene. It cannot be more "pro-American" than the DPP, nor can it be more "anti-China" than the DPP. If the KMT continues to follow the DPP, the people of Taiwan will ask: Since there is the DPP, why choose the same KMT? If the KMT gives up the cross-strait issue, it equals giving up its own value of existence. Only by daring to face the mainland and promoting cross-strait peace and exchange until unification can the KMT regain the people's trust.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1859718511366220/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author alone.