According to Reuters, Kuomintang (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wen led a delegation to China on what was described as a “peace trip,” during which she held a “Cheng–Xi meeting” with Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping. Italian scholar Aurelio Insisa, an expert on cross-strait relations, stated that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is using the KMT to conduct information warfare. Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) criticized the move, saying, “They talk about peace, but military drills have never stopped,” and “Believing the CCP is either foolish or malicious.”
Aurelio Insisa previously taught in Hong Kong for more than a decade and has conducted research in Taiwan multiple times. He currently serves as a senior researcher at the Italian Institute for International Affairs (IAI). On the 8th, he gave an exclusive interview to the Central News Agency, analyzing the implications of Cheng Li-wen’s visit to China from the perspective of information warfare.
Insisa pointed out that Cheng’s visit to China is a very significant development in current cross-strait relations. In simple terms, he believes this is first and foremost “a victory for the CCP in the information domain.” Many people in Europe are not familiar with Taiwan’s domestic politics and tend to overlook a key point—namely, how Cheng Li-wen’s visit was organized and presented. Whether to Taiwanese society or to international audiences, the main narrative of her visit aligns with China’s security discourse regarding Taiwan.
Insisa analyzed that “the Chinese side aims to create a narrative that the United States and the Trump administration are the root causes of tensions in the Taiwan Strait. Meanwhile, the rhetoric of the Kuomintang (KMT) leadership closely mirrors Beijing’s position, portraying the United States as the instigator of Taiwan Strait security issues, and claiming that President Lai Ching-te and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government are complicit. Through this, the KMT seeks to position itself as the party most capable of ensuring peace in Taiwan and of maintaining stable relations with Beijing.”
Insisa believes that the DPP’s consecutive election victories and long-term governance have paradoxically made it a victim of its own success, as voters tend to have short memories. Many people no longer recall the KMT’s period in power, or were too young at the time to vote. As a result, he argues, the KMT’s current strategy appears to be an attempt to “turn back the clock” to the administration of former President Ma Ying-jeou.
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He stated that the KMT’s cross-strait engagement policies may have reflected mainstream opinion around 2010, but they were not well received by the Taiwanese public. This dissatisfaction led to the outbreak of the Sunflower Movement in 2014, and later contributed to the Democratic Progressive Party’s landslide victory in the 2016 presidential election.
Insisa warned that the CCP’s invitation for Cheng Li-wen to visit China represents a short-term gain, as it helps construct an image of division within Taiwan. However, he cautioned that one should not overlook the fact that over the past decade, due to the KMT’s primary election mechanisms, its leadership has often come from the “deep blue” faction. This does not necessarily reflect the party’s full political spectrum. As a result, KMT chairpersons frequently express strongly pro-China positions, while grassroots members and other key figures may not share the same views. Even former KMT chairperson Hung Hsiu-chu and some of her policies have been seen as “not representative” of the party as a whole.
He questioned whether the CCP’s invitation to the KMT chairperson achieves more than just a short-term information warfare victory, particularly in terms of controlling the broader KMT or influencing Taiwan’s 2028 presidential election. The “prelude” to the 2028 election will be the year-end local “nine-in-one” elections, which will serve as an indicator of whether the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the opposition KMT adjust their political strategies.
DPP: ‘They talk about peace, but military drills never stop’
Regarding Cheng Li-wen’s “peace trip,” the DPP posted on Facebook on Wednesday April 8, stating: “They talk about peace, but military drills never stop. Peace cannot be granted by a dictator.”
The DPP said that Cheng Li-wen went to China in high spirits, and upon arrival was seen smiling broadly and sharing drinks with Taiwan Affairs Office Director Song Tao, speaking enthusiastically about what they called a “historic peace trip,” immersed in a self-satisfying atmosphere. However, experience shows that discussions about peace with the Chinese Communist Party often end in deception.
The DPP also pointed to historical examples where the KMT was “publicly contradicted” by the CCP. According to the party, there have been countless such cases in recent years. For instance, in 2022, Chiang Wan-an stated before the Taipei mayoral election that “as long as PLA aircraft and ships stop disturbing Taiwan, the Twin City Forum can proceed.”
Yet after the election, PLA activities continued as before, and the forum still went ahead. The KMT, they said, “willingly accepted being contradicted once.” In 2025, Chiang Wan-an visited Shanghai, where he spoke at the forum about how “the Taiwan Strait should not have turbulent waves.” However, immediately after his departure, the PLA announced large-scale “encirclement Taiwan” military exercises, once again leaving the KMT publicly contradicted.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) stated that in 2026, it will be Cheng Li-wen’s turn to loudly advocate “peace” and “lying flat,” but the much-anticipated “Cheng–Xi meeting” has yet to formally take place. Meanwhile, PLA aircraft incursions and PLA Navy damage to undersea cables have already arrived as an initial show of force. This time, it seems the Kuomintang (KMT) is again expecting to be publicly contradicted.
“Facts are very clear: while the CCP talks about peace, its military drills against Taiwan have never stopped.”
‘Believing the CCP is either foolish or malicious’
The DPP stated, “Peace cannot be granted as a gift by a dictator. Moreover, throughout history, the CCP has never fulfilled promises of granting peace to Tibet or Hong Kong.”
The DPP emphasized that peace ultimately depends on strength, and only strength provides bargaining power. It therefore called on the KMT to promptly support the passage of a special national defense budget bill to strengthen Taiwan’s capabilities and leverage.
It further challenged Cheng Li-wen, saying that if she has “guts,” she should publicly urge the CCP to renounce the use of force to annex Taiwan. Otherwise, the DPP said, the Taiwanese people can only continue to agree with an old saying: “Believing the CCP is either foolish or malicious.”
By Li Jingyao
