Chinese President Xi Jinping invited the Kuomintang chair ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to China.
On the 30th, Song Tao, director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the China State Council, conveyed the invitation, saying, "The Communist Party of China Central Committee and General Secretary Xi Jinping welcome Kuomintang Chair Cheng Li-yuan and the visiting delegation to China."
As the background for the invitation, they cited the peaceful development of relations between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party and of cross-strait (China and Taiwan) ties.
Accordingly, Chair Cheng, who has a pro-engagement stance, will visit Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang from the 7th to the 12th of next month.
In response, the Kuomintang said, "Chair Cheng expressed gratitude and readily accepted the invitation," adding, "We hope to promote exchanges and cooperation to foster peace in the Taiwan Strait and add to people's livelihoods and welfare."
This is the first visit to China by a Kuomintang chair since Hong Hsiu-chu, then chair in 2016, visited Beijing and Nanjing and held talks with Xi.
Meanwhile, some say Cheng's visit, set at a time when President Trump is preparing to visit China, suggests Beijing is seeking to seize the initiative on the Taiwan issue.
Earlier, White House Spokesperson Caroline Rabbit said the meeting between President Trump and Xi is scheduled for May 14–15.